


Polarity

by brimstonegold, virtualpersonal



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, College AU, College Student Castiel, College Student Sam, Hunter Sam, M/M, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Sassy, Sastiel - Freeform, Sexy Times, Stanford Era, Wing Kink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-18
Updated: 2014-12-22
Packaged: 2018-03-02 02:13:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 55,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2795975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brimstonegold/pseuds/brimstonegold, https://archiveofourown.org/users/virtualpersonal/pseuds/virtualpersonal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam’s dreams of going to college and living a normal life are coming true and things couldn’t be more perfect, until he’s stuck with a roommate who hates his guts and does everything in his power to get rid of him. Castiel would like nothing better than to make friends and be normal. Only he’s not. He’s got these freaky wings that have matured to the point he can no longer saw them off, he’s got to bind them all day and wear a stupid trench coat, and now, he’s been landed with a roommate and is forced to hide his deformity twenty four hours a day. Something has to give and it's not going to be him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Having completed the dorm check-in process, Sam walked down the busy hallway, dodging other students moving into their dorm rooms or goofing around. Shifting the heavy duffel bag from one hand to the other, he managed to knock away a paper airplane that came shooting towards his chest. Shaking his head at the laughter and cursing that ensued, he checked the numbers on the doors. Hopefully his roommate would be laid back and have a sense of humor when Sam told him that due to a shortage of space, he'd have to share the room he'd rented all for himself. Since the guy would get a partial refund on his deposit and have lower monthly payments, it would probably be okay. 

Turning a corner, Sam found the room assigned to him and knocked firmly on the door. When there was no answer, he walked inside and stopped mid-stride. "Okay, so _not_ laid back," he said under his breath. That was an understatement. The room wasn't only squeaky clean, but it was so damned tidy that it was hard to believe anyone actually lived here. The beds were tightly made up, the items on one of the tables were arranged like a row of soldiers with nothing out of line and the posters on the wall were perfectly framed and aligned. _Neat freak. Check._

Seeing through the open bathroom door that his roommate wasn't there, Sam dropped his stuff at the foot the bed that didn't have items on the night stand next to it and started to unpack. As he hung and put away his clothes, he hoped his roommate didn't expect his side of the room to mirror the neatness of the other side. Seriously, he wasn't a slob like Dean, but there was no way he was competing with his roommate. 

He was just kicking his shoes under the bed when a strange prickly sensation washed over him, an awareness he couldn't explain. Turning, he saw the door knob turn and then the door opened.

"Like that doesn't scream flasher," Sam said, seeing a kid in a beige trench coat and thinking it had to be some sort of joke or prank. Once his gaze locked with the chilly blue eyes boring into him, he realized he'd made a mistake. 

James Castiel Novak had sensed something was wrong even before he'd opened the door and found a giant standing in his room, the spare bed mussed as if something heavy had been set on it and items haphazardly placed on the nightstand next to the bed. "I'm sorry, but you're in the wrong room," Castiel said, eyeing the stranger. "If you don't mind, please pack up and go check with dorm admissions. I pay double boarding to have a room to myself." 

"Yeah. About that... Looks like they have more students than they planned for so I'm your new roommate." Seeing ice chips crystallize in the guy's eyes, Sam added, "They're gonna give you a refund and, if another room frees up, I'll be outta here," he said with a shrug. When that didn't seem to satisfy the guy, Sam rolled his eyes and headed for the desk. Bending down, he started to plug in his lap top. "Name's Sam," he said, giving the guy a pointed look.

"Don't get comfortable, Jolly Green. I'll get you a room," Castiel snapped, set his satchel down by the door and stalked out of _his room_ , slamming the door behind him. 

Soon Castiel was standing in line, waiting impatiently to talk to the idiot who had given him a roommate. When he finally reached the window, he demanded to see the person in charge. He wasn't going to waste his rant on a lackey only to have to start all over again with someone who had the power to clean up this mess.

After another wait, a woman walked out of the door and headed for where Cas was standing in line.

"Mrs. Calliwell," Castiel said, trying to be polite. "There has been a mistake. Another student has been placed to room with me."

The harried-looking woman nodded and started to place her hand on the young man's shoulder, but the student dodged her touch. "I'm sorry, James isn't it? Admissions did not account for one set of scholarship students when originally planning dorm room assignments. We've got an extra twenty students to place. We can't put three people in a room while we still have a room with only one occupant."

"I told you I have a medical condition and need my privacy because of it!" Castiel fumed. "It's far too late to find a nearby apartment or I'd have rented one if I'd known I would have to share my room with some overgrown ass."

"Samuel Winchester is a stellar student, full scholarship. Give him a chance, James. Students will begin dropping out within a few weeks. As soon as possible, we'll get him relocated. I promise you."

"Castiel. I prefer Castiel," Castiel said coolly. "Fine. Whatever. I'll be checking back every day until the Jolly Green Giant is out of my room." Castiel turned away, ready to head back to his room and tell 'Sam' the news, when that strange sensation he'd gotten before washed over him and he realized his roommate was standing right there and had overheard everything. He gave Sam a once over. "I guess I'm stuck with you for now, Jolly."

"Ditto, _James_ ," Sam said through gritted teeth. This was not the start to college life that he'd been dreaming about. Tossing a dirty look at Castiel, Sam headed back for their room. Hundreds of other kids to be roomed with and he had to be stuck with the one with the long pole up his ass. "Great... just fucking great," he huffed under his breath, opening the door to his room, leaving it wide open, and flopping down on his bed. His gaze was glued to the doorway. He could practically feel his roommate nearing already.

Castiel walked into the room, ignoring Sam. He picked up his satchel and carried it over to his desk. Pulling out the newly purchased books, he carefully stacked them, then collected some fresh clothes and disappeared into the bathroom. Turning the water on, he shed his coat, the dress-shirt, then carefully pulled the tight t-shirt over his head, biting back his groan as his wings were finally half freed. Undoing his belt and pants, he finished pulling his wings free and slowly stretched them. He looked at himself in the mirror. The large white wings swayed forward and back, as if in a breeze and he gave a frustrated sigh.

He'd been fifteen when strange appendages, not yet wings, had first started to grow out of his back and his mother had taken him to a handful of doctors. None of them could do anything for him. They'd even had the extra bones removed...only to have them grow back within a few days. At that point, he said nothing more to his parents about them. He'd cut them himself every morning, cut them down to mere bloody nubs, but they simply kept growing back. As they formed into wings, grew larger and more muscular, it was too painful to cut or saw them off anymore. He'd started trimming the wings in the morning to make it easier to bind and hide them, though they'd be whole by the next morning anyhow. He'd learned how to keep them flattened fairly tightly against himself and to keep the below his shoulders. With two tight shirts and the trench coat, no one seemed to notice the bit of extra padding on his back. Of course, everyone thought he was a freak because he wore the trench coat everywhere, never taking it off in public, but better the freak in the trench coat than the freak with wings.

He'd wanted his own room so he could leave his wings unbound while in the privacy of his room. Now...now what the hell was he going to do?

Adjusting the water a bit, he stepped into the shower. The water slid off his white feathers as if it didn't touch them at all. With a sigh, he picked up the soap and began to wash, trying to wash away his frustration in the process. 

* * *

Sitting on his bed and going over a syllabus, Sam glanced up when the bathroom door opened. Seeing Castiel come out fully dressed, his eyebrows quirked up. "Neat freak and shy? Anything else I should know? Us being roomies and all?"

This was one among many reasons Castiel had so badly wanted a private room. Snide comments about his coat. Prying curiosity and questions he couldn't answer. How could he explain part of the reason he was a 'neat freak' was because when you had wings that sometimes had a mind of their own, it was best to keep everything picked up and out of the way and in its proper place? Loose papers would get blown to God knew where, glasses would get knocked over onto books or the carpet...it was just easier to keep everything as pristine as possible. That had kind of turned him into becoming an obsessive neat-freak and he knew but it was just the way he seemed to be wired since he'd gotten his wings.

He inhaled and gave a slight shrug. "I don't like being touched, especially my back side. I would ask you not walk into the bathroom while I am in there if I have the door is shut." He hadn't looked at Sam yet, but he finally raised his head and met his roommate's eyes. "I would appreciate it, Sam, if when you return to the room you would knock. If I ask you to give me a minute, please be patient and wait until I open the door. I'll do the same for you, of course. Will you...will you do that for me?"

"Touch your backside? You should be so lucky," Sam huffed, wondering what he'd done to give himself away. It was either that or the guy had a really strong gaydar, not that Sam cared that anyone knew. Anyone other than Dean, that was. He'd steeled himself to break the news to his brother when Dean had dropped him off at the campus, but then he'd choked. It had taken a lot to get Dean to get on board with his plan of going to college. They'd argued about it but in the end Dean had agreed on the condition Sam joined him for hunts during school breaks and summer vacations. Just because he'd agreed didn't mean he'd liked it, and when they'd been saying their goodbyes, there'd been this look in Dean's eyes and Sam just... well, he hadn't been able to bring up the fact that despite the fact he'd been with girls, he mostly leaned the other way.

Feeling Castiel's steely gaze boring through him, Sam looked at the guy. "Dude, who barges into bathrooms? Seriously, you've got nothing to worry about, you're not _that_ irresistible. Relax, I'm not about to pounce you." Shaking his head, Sam crossed his arms and glared back.

Castiel tilted his head, giving Sam a questioning look. "Pounce on me? Why would you 'pounce'..." Castiel's voice trailed off as he stared at Sam, meeting his defiant gaze. "...Oh," he said quietly, feeling his cheeks color a bit. "It doesn't have anything to do with _that_. I don't care which way you swing," he said then hastily added, "I mean, if you swing that way or anything. I'm just a private person and...like you said, ah, kinda shy. And I really don't like to be touched. By anyone."

"With that 'tude, I don't think getting touched will _ever_ be your problem." It wasn't only the attitude, but that trench coat in the middle of September with no rain or bad weather in sight in freakin' California. It was just his luck, or maybe he deserved it, thought Sam. He'd said he hoped he didn't get a roommate who was all about partying or was a great big slob, and his comments had been directed to his brother. Now look who he'd ended up with.  
Frustrated, Castiel ran a hand through his dark hair. "We got off to a bad start. I wasn't given any warning there was over-crowding and that I was losing my highly desired privacy. You took the brunt of my anger. We're going to be roommates for a few weeks or even months. Let's start again." He held out his hand. "I'm Castiel Novak, from Pontiac, Illinois. Psychology major. And you are?"

The guy was right, they had to make the best of it. Leaning forward, Sam shook Castiel's hand. "Sam Winchester, from... all over. Poli Sci major." That strange prickling sensation ran all the way up from his hand to his arm and had Sam lifting his gaze to meet Castiel's. Weird. This was really weird. He hoped it wasn't the start to some new _dark and freaky power_ , as Dean liked to call it. 

He released Castiel's hand. "Know what they say about psychologists... ah, never mind. Why psych?" Telling the guy it seemed he might be in need of one wouldn't be a great way to right things between them.

Castiel felt a strange electric charge shoot up his arm. It verged on being painful and left his fingers, hand and arm all tingly after Sam let go. He rubbed his thumb across the pads of his fingers, trying to alleviate the tingling. "To understand why people do the things they do. And I want to help people who have physical disabilities or disfigurements learn to deal with the world better, whether the disability is a lost limb, birth defect, injury that makes them feel set apart from everyone else, or whatever. So I'm going to focus on therapy further into my degree. Why poli sci? You going to run for governor some day? Or President? Now who's the crazy one?"

"Nah," Sam chuckled. "I'm thinking law school, or maybe forensics. I'm minoring in forensic science." Law school was a pipe dream and he knew it. Forensics was his attempt at being practical because at least that would help him in the family business. He'd bucked against his destiny a lot harder when Dad was around but, now that it was just Dean and himself, he was starting to accept it. 

Castiel made a face. "Don't think I could be a lawyer. I couldn't defend someone I knew was guilty, and if someone I knew was innocent was put away, it would eat at me. Are you finding your way around school okay?"

"I went through orientation," Sam nodded. "I'll probably take a look around a little later. Any good eats around? I hear the university pub is active with school starting tomorrow."

"Yes, there's a deli nearby that's really good and they give student discounts if you show them your student ID or, until IDs are issued, you can show them a tuition bill or mail with a dorm address. They're always busy, long lines, but the service is fast so it's like ten minutes, max, to get your food. There's a good Thai restaurant one bus stop away if you like Thai. I'm not a partier, don't usually drink, not that I'm legal to anyhow, so I don't know about bars in the area." He chewed on his lip trying to think if he'd recommend any other of the couple places he'd eaten, but nothing really came to mind. "Uh, you're welcome to use my little fridge until you get one. And the microwave. No sense getting a second one." He pointed to his small refrigerator in the corner and the small microwave on top of it. There was a coffee maker on the table next to it. "Feel free to use my coffee, just please replace what you use with the same brand." He gave a slightly embarrassed shrug. "I'm kind of a coffee snob. I like good coffee."  
Chewing his lip again, Castiel found he'd run out of things to say and suddenly felt awkward. He hadn't been overly social ever since his wings had started to grow and he wasn't accustomed to small talk. He shifted his weight a little nervously from foot to foot.  
"Great. Thanks." Sam wasn't planning on buying a fridge, not until he found a part time job. He'd also probably bring in his coffee since he was used to mini-market coffee and it didn't make sense to buy real expensive coffee, though he did on occasion like what Dean called a _fluffy_ drink. "So... I need to get a picture taken for a school ID. If you haven't got yours yet, you wanna come with? Then maybe grab a bite?" He was already setting aside the papers he'd been looking at and swung his long legs off the bed.   
Castiel stared at him almost in shock, then gave a self-conscious nod. "Sure, but...look, they've already marked me as 'freak' so if you don't want to hang, I get it, no offense taken. I'm used to it." 

"Sooner or later someone'll be calling me a geek so... if you don't mind hanging with one, let's get outta here." Pulling his sneakers on, he stood up. Really, he was more freak than geek himself, but he knew how to hide his freakishness. As Castiel walked out the door, Sam almost told him to lose the trench coat but it was too late. Shrugging, he followed him out. He didn't really think they'd ever be friends, but they could learn to tolerate each other for as long as necessary.  
* * * * * *

Castiel was sitting at his desk and reading, glad his roommate was out for a jog. He was stretching and flexing his wings, grateful to have them free. He hoped they found a new room for Sam soon. Not that Sam was a terrible roommate or anything. In fact, they had similar tastes in music, Sam didn't come in drunk, he was studious, and everything was going pretty well except for one annoying thing. Sam was in the room all too often. Castiel wasn't used to having his wings bound all the time, _especially_ while he slept. He'd had to once again start wearing the harness he'd constructed a few years back to keep his wings tightly bound against him while he slept. It was uncomfortable and he'd even developed a few blisters from them though the blisters usually healed by mid-day. His wings often ached and he knew he was getting a little short tempered. It wasn't Sam's fault, not really, but he'd found himself snapping at Sam anyhow.

The now familiar tingle raked over him and he sighed. Sam was in the hall, headed to the room. Castiel grabbed the leather harness and stood up, slipping it on and then wrapping it around his wings with a grimace. He was pulling on his t-shirt when he heard the key in the door and realized Sam wasn't knocking and waiting but just coming right on in. He pulled the t-shirt down. His coat was across the room and the door was opening. _Crap!_ He grabbed the throw on the end of his bed and quickly wrapped it around his waist to hide the bottom portion of his wings.

When the door swung open, Castiel saw Sam standing there in shorts and a sweat soaked t-shirt, still trying to catch his breath from his long run. "You're supposed to knock!" he snapped at his roommate. 

"Come on, man, not like you're not dressed or something. Lighten up, you might like it." Pulling his shirt off, Sam wiped his face and chest down with it. He was getting sick of all of Cas' stupid little rules. The way the guy picked up after him. The impatient looks he threw his way when Sam took his time leaving the room, like he couldn't wait for him to be out the door. 

"I don't know what your problem is but--" Sam took a step back. "You lost the trench coat. Good move," he said with genuine approval. Though he'd seen flashes of the shirts or tee shirts Cas wore under his coat, this was the first time he'd seen the guy in a full on tee. The blue color really suited him and Sam couldn't miss the sliver of skin that showed where the shirt had pulled up above the waistline of his jeans. Very quickly, he dragged his gaze up. The guy was already paranoid enough without getting the idea that Sam had designs on him. Which he didn't. 

Crossing the room, he went into Castiel's fridge and got a bottle of water. As he twisted the top open, he studied the guy a little more from under his lashes. Without the damned coat covering everything, the guy had a nice, lean build. Yeah... not that Sam was noticing. Lifting the bottle, he started to drink.

 _Damn, he's built,_ was the first thing that popped into Castiel's mind when Sam took off his tee-shirt and wiped down his glistening chest. He felt himself flush a little at even noticing such a thing. When the medical procedures failed, when his wings began to develop, he'd realized he could never be with anyone. No woman, no man. He was a _freak_. If anyone ever discovered...he didn't want to think what would happen to him. So he'd tried to train himself not to look, not to think along these lines. 

He felt Sam taking stock of his body now and prayed the harness didn't show through the t-shirt and that all of his wings were concealed by the throw. "Look, I have a...a medical condition that embarrasses me, that I don't want anyone to see, okay? It's private and...and, I just want to keep it private." 

"Medical condition?" Sam was a little skeptical. Just based on what he'd seen, Castiel seemed healthy. Then he recalled his comments about his reasons for wanting to go into psychology and took a closer look at him. Nope, he still couldn't see any problem. Course not all medical issues were visible. Taking a couple long steps, he loomed over Castiel and put his hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Whatever it is, it's probably worse in your mind. You wanna talk about it?"

To Castiel, it was like a red hot iron was touching him, like dark lightning was ricocheting through his body. Fire and flame, blood and sadness, loss, evil, and...love. All of it hit him like a ton of bricks and the breath rushed out of his body in the wake of those overwhelming sensations. He wanted to pull away from the darkness, to disconnect from the empathy, from the surge of energy in Sam's touch, while another part of him grabbed onto the raw emotions and feelings, clung to them, wanting to feel, wanting to connect and belong. "I-I-I d-don't..." he stammered and swallowed hard, looking into those blue-green eyes. "No," Castiel finally whispered.

"You sure?" Sam glanced at his hand, frowning a little at the thrumming he felt under his palm, then back at Castiel. "If you change your mind..." he squeezed his shoulder one more time and let go. Something subtle was bothering him, scratching at him, but he didn't know what it was or what it meant.

"Y-yes," Castiel said, his knees weakening when Sam let go of him. He hated it when people touched him because of all the feelings he picked up from them, but Sam...Sam was different from anyone he'd ever felt before. "What-what's your story?" Castiel finally asked. "You don't talk about yourself or your family." He crossed the room and reached up. His hand shook as he got his trench coat off the hook and slipped into it. Pulling the throw from around his waist, he folded it and returned it to the end of his bed.  
Sam couldn't help wondering if Castiel was hiding some sort of hump on his lower back, but if that was the case, the trench coat did a helluva job hiding it. Nah, it was something else. It could even be some imagined flaw. Maybe if he ever got to know his roommate better, he'd suggest the psych student go see a psych. Course Sam didn't like it much when Castiel tried to shine the interrogation lamp on him either so they probably would never get to know each another, not really. 

"Nothing interesting to tell. Mom died when I was a kid. Dad's gone now and it's just me and my brother," he gave a shrug and sat down on his bed, legs planted apart on the floor and elbows resting on his knees. "End of story. See, boring." _Ha. Except the part where our lives are a daily struggle to survive against things we fight in the night, that I've apparently been weaned on demon blood which is having some freakish side effects, and there's a chance that one day I'll go darkside. Yah... nothing exciting here._

"Sorry about your parents. You said you were from all over. Your dad military? Army brat? Moved from station to station all the time?" Castiel asked, sitting down on his own bed, shifting a bit uncomfortably until he got his wings adjusted under him. 

"Something like that, only not," Sam answered a bit tightly. Getting up again, he stretched. "Did I get any calls? I applied for a couple of on-campus jobs," he said, then walked over to where his jacket was draped over the back of a chair, to pull out his cell and take a look.

"Six calls," Castiel answered. "I, uh, answered one of them. It rang three times in a row and I thought maybe it was an emergency. It was your brother. I told him you were out jogging but I'd go hunt for you if he wanted me to. He didn't. I told him you were usually back by ten." He glanced at the clock which read 9:38. "He said he would call you then, but not to call him back. He said he needed you to look up something called a krensharr. I wrote everything down on your notepad there. I'm sorry. I should have told you when you first got back. And I'm sorry for answering your phone. I wouldn't normally, but I just got a...feeling, like I should, that it was important." Castiel got up and walked over to the printer. "I did an internet search for you. It's a legendary monster, feline. I printed out what I could find and the websites I checked."  
Picking up the papers he walked over to Sam and held them out for him.

"What the hell... don't answer my phone again." Sam was abrupt but wanted to get his point across. "For someone who makes a big deal about privacy..." Jaw clenched and aching slightly, partly from the tension of knowing Dean would not have told a stranger a damned thing unless he was in great danger and had no time to call back and leave a message, he took the print outs and glanced over them.

The research appeared to be mostly on point insofar as describing the monster and related legends. Of course Castiel wouldn't have known that what Dean really wanted was a focus on how to take it down, its weaknesses. Still reading and without looking up, Sam sat down at the desk and fired up his own lap top. This thing was bad ass. He hoped Dean wasn't going alone on this one. That he had Bobby or someone else backing him up.

"Sorry," Castiel said quietly and returned to pick up the book he'd been reading. "I'll leave when he calls back so you can have privacy. I won't answer it again, no matter how many times in a row it rings." He didn't like the darkness and anger that seemed to roll off of Sam in waves. It raised the hair on the back of his neck and he felt like he really wanted his wings free, like he wanted to be ready to fly away.

"Fine." Dropping the papers onto the desk, Sam started to type on his keyboard, moving from one internet site to another. He worked furiously, blocking everything else out, following leads that went nowhere and getting increasingly anxious.   
His phone started to ring.  
"Shit, shit, shit," he grabbed it and put it against his ear. "Yeah. Not yet. Gimme ten minutes, Dean are you al-- shit!" Dropping the phone, he leaned toward the monitor and determinedly focused on his task. He wouldn't be any good to his brother otherwise. 

"Argh... Latin." Grabbing his pen, he started to try to translate what he was reading onto a paper, at least the relevant parts. But he wasn't that good, and there were a lot of gaps in his knowledge. He hoped it wasn't one of those 'know enough to be dangerous' situations.

"I read Latin," Castiel hesitantly offered.

"Get over here," Sam said, getting up and pulling the chair back so Cas could sit down. "Look for anything about how to kill or slow this thing down. I think this part is talking about weaknesses," he said, pointing to the section of the faded image of a manuscript he'd found uploaded in pdf format.

Castiel sat down and focused on the part Sam pointed out, reading it over. "Magical Beast...only hunts humans if food is scarce...smart...uses scouts to drive prey to the rest of the pride...weakness...silver...no, no, quicksilver. Mercury. Quicksilver will kill it, so will a black blade from the fires of hell driven into its heart...Obsidian. I think they mean obsidian. Volcanic glass." Castiel paused and furrowed his brow. "There's an incantation here that will keep it at bay. It'll chase it away it says." He magnified the pdf. "It's hard to make out."  
Picking up a pen he began writing it down, erasing a word or two and replacing them when he shook his head. He read over the eight short lines, changed another word, and then handed it to Sam. "A couple words weren't clear, but based on context, those should be the right words." 

Before Sam could answer, the phone was ringing again. He took the call before the end of the first ring and started rattling off what Cas had told him. "No, I'm not sure because I had a little help on the Latin. Yeah I'll check it over," he agreed, leaning over Cas to read the last of what he'd written and compare it to the contents of the screen. "I don't know Dean... break a thermometer? Okay. Yeah. Call me back when--" Sam made a face at the phone. "Hate that." 

He paced away, tossing the phone on his bed as he passed it and turning. His gaze met Castiel's. Trying to erase his worried look, he gestured with his hand, waving it as he explained. "Dean's writing a book. He's at a critical plot point and needed an answer right away." 

Castiel turned, his gaze following Sam. He gave Sam a look that said he wasn't buying it but gave a small shrug. "Yeah, okay. Here, I'll get out of the way so you can check my translation." He got to his feet and went over to get some coffee. "Want some?" he asked, topping off his half-full mug that had the school colors on it.

Sam glanced at the pot. It was the first time Castiel had directly invited him to have some of the coffee and he'd never asked to have any because he wasn't about to go out and find the same brand to replace what he'd drank. "Just a little, a half cup would be great," he said, though he was used to supersized coffee cups. Moving across the room, he sat down and started reviewing the translations more carefully. "Where'd you learn Lat... private school, huh?" he said, the answer dawning on him before he finished his question.

Castiel filled a mug to near the rim and brought it to him. "I won't finish it before class. Hate to see it go to waste," he explained. "No, my family's not that well off. Latin was offered, along with German and French at my high school. I think it was just because the Latin teacher is old as dirt and they're waiting for him to retire before they bring in a Spanish teacher or something. I was proficient in it in just a year so I took German and French too. I have a knack for languages I guess. I suppose I'd make a good translator or something. But that would mean travel and I, uh, I don't think I could travel what with my medical condition. You Catholic? That why you know some Latin?" he asked, knowing there were a few churches which still performed mass in Latin and at least the one in his neighborhood offered classes in the subject.

"Catho... no." The moment the word popped out of his mouth, Sam regretted it. If he'd agreed, he might not have to makeup another explanation. "My ah... school taught it too but I guess I didn't catch on as fast." Closing his hand around the mug, he gave a nod. "Thanks."   
As Sam labored over the research and fine-tuned it in case there was anything he'd missed, he was aware of Castiel's movements in the room as the guy straightened up his side of the room and folded and refolded things. Sometimes Sam wondered if Cas was doing needless cleanup as a hint to Sam. If so, Sam pretended not to notice.

A short while later, Sam drained his mug and stood. "Gonna grab a shower." He gave Cas a moment in case the guy needed to get in the bathroom for anything, then strode to the door. It was weird, as he passed Castiel, he felt a light brush of something across his face and cheek and the entire side of his body. Turning, he looked at Cas. When their eyes met, he wasn't sure what to say about it because it had to be his imagination since they were feet apart. "Um... thanks. For the assist," he muttered, nodding toward the laptop before walking in and closing the bathroom door.

Castiel watched as his roommate disappeared into the bathroom. He needed to leave for class soon, but his books were already organized, he'd already taken notes from the assigned chapters, and done all he could do. He looked at Sam's side of the room and couldn't help but straighten things up a bit, dusting off the table and bed posts, tightening the sheets and bedspread, carefully straightening Sam's books, though he resisted the urge to reorganize them. A rap at the door sounded as he finished the last of his coffee. He opened the door to see who it was. "May I help you?" he asked the woman politely.

"I'm from the housing office. I understand you lodged a complaint with Mrs. Halliwell, Mr. Novak?"

Castiel opened the door the rest of the way and waved her in. "Yes. One of the reasons I accepted the scholarship to this school was that the school promised me I could pay the extra dorm fee costs and have a room to myself. Then the school goes back on its promise and assigns another student to my room. I realize you over-booked, but that was _your_ error. I need my privacy. I have a medical condition which makes it awkward to share a room with someone. I am barely able to sleep. I am short tempered because of my lack of sleep, the pain...look, please, how soon can arrangements be made to relocate Mr. Winchester. He's quiet and studious and anyone would be pleased to have him as a roommate, even if..." Castiel hesitated. _Even if he gives me the creeps sometimes._ "...even if he is...frustratingly stubborn sometimes." 

"What is the nature of your medical condition?" When Castiel refused to answer her, just as he'd refused to answer other administrators' questions, she took in a deep breath. "Look, Mr. Novak, you simply cannot expect the school to put a student out on the street based on a mysterious, undisclosed and unverified condition. Now it's possible that we could find a volunteer to switch places with him but..." She trailed off seeing another student had just come out of the bathroom and was standing there with just a towel slung around his hips. "Ah, why don't we do this another time. Stop by the office later today and we can continue this conversation," she said, quickly exiting the room.

Sam stared at Castiel in consternation. The next minute, a book sailed off a shelf and smacked Castiel in the head. _Oops_. He hadn't intended for that to happen but he did mean his next words. "Guess somebody _up there_ agrees with me - you're a jerk." Every time... every single time he thought the guy might be okay, he did something to fuck it up or show his true colors.  
Crossing the room, Sam got his boxers out of the drawer and, dropping the wet towel to the ground, bent over and started to step into his shorts.

Still startled by the book that came out of nowhere and hit the back of his head, Castiel rubbed the spot while watching Sam. "She came here! She was following up on my complaint that the school promised me my own room. It's got _nothing_ to do with you. You're quiet, keep to yourself, a perfect--" Castiel's words failed him when Sam bent over, showing him his naked ass. Cas felt his cheeks color and turned quickly away. His wings shifted restlessly, straining against the harness even as he felt his cock begin to fill. _Fuck me..._ he whispered and strode for the door, not caring he was leaving his satchel behind. He'd borrow paper from someone in class.

As soon as the door slammed, Sam looked towards the door, then back at Castiel's book bag. "Huh." Well, _now_ he knew how to chase the guy out of their room when he got annoying. What a nut job.


	2. Chapter 2

Over the next two weeks, things were strained between the roommates. Sam was out of the room as much as possible. He did a lot of his studying in the library instead of in his room and, between that and his job working at the school pub a couple nights a week, he was rarely back in the room until close to midnight. They only exchanged words when absolutely necessary and engaged in a silent battle of annoying each other. Sam left more of his stuff around and would move Castiel's things just an inch over to one side or the other, or kick his shoes so they weren't exactly parallel. He knew it drove Castiel up the wall. Cas retaliated by folding Sam's clothes, re-fixing his bed and once, even making some corrections to his homework. 

Sam had also started to make friends. It was easy through his work at the pub and he also hung out there even when he wasn't working. This was so different, so much better than when he'd always been the new kid at every school he'd gone to before college. Now he was free to make friends and didn't have to watch every word or fear that his dad would pull him out of school the moment he made a few friends.   
Seeing Castiel walk into the pub this late at night, Sam was hella surprised. But he wasn't at all surprised by the fact that the guy sat alone and as far away from others as possible. That reminded him of his own childhood in some ways but he wouldn't feel sorry for the guy. No way. Not when the guy chose to be so... so aloof and insisted on wearing that flasher trench coat everywhere. He was decent looking, even really good looking when he let the ice chips in his eyes melt away and was less stiff. Sam had seen glimpses of another Cas now and again. More laid back, clad only in a tee shirt, he could even smile now and again, but it seemed his smiles were reserved for books not people.

His shift was almost over, but Sam almost reluctantly went over to Cas' table and handed him a menu. "What can I get you to drink? A coke with a triple shot of whiskey?" Yeah, that might loosen the jerk up, not that Sam could get him liquor since he was underage. 

Castiel was startled by Sam's voice. He hadn't felt him, which was odd. Then again, maybe with so many people, so many emotions in the bar, he maybe should have expected it. But the fact that Sam worked here also came as a surprise. 

"A Seven-Up would be good," he told Sam and accepted the menu. He gave it a quick glance but pretty much knew what he wanted. "I'll take the French bread pizza, cheese, pepperoni and onions. And some nachos. Lots of jalapenos and extra tomatoes and salsa." He held the menu back out. "I didn't realize you were working here."

"Yeah, or you’d have gone somewhere else. Don't worry, I'll only be breathing the same air as you for a little while. Someone else will probably get your food unless they cook it up fast." When he took the menu, a current seemed to pass through it and up his arm. No matter how often it happened, he couldn't get used to the sensation or explain it. "Anything else?" 

Castiel held onto the menu for just a moment, savoring the feelings that came from Sam. So damned alive-feeling. So much emotion. "No, nothing else. And I wouldn't have avoided the bar because of you. I generally don't come here because there's too much...noise."  
He watched Sam walk to the bar to place his order and get his drink. Sam suddenly smiled at a couple that showed up and chatted with them, obviously friends with them. Castiel felt a stab of jealousy, wishing he could have that sort of relationship with people. His eyes widened when one of the spray tops of soda water suddenly separated from its hose and sprayed both Sam and the newly arrived couple. He bit his lip and quickly focused on the TV. He had no doubt his flare of jealousy had done that.

"The hell?" Sam hopped over the bar, grabbed the hose and turned off the tap just as the bartender ran over and joined him. All four of them got into an animated conversation over how that could have happened. Grabbing a towel from under the bar, Sam dried himself off as best he could while the couple did the same. Shaking his head, he walked out from the bar and went to put in Castiel's order. 

When he brought the Seven-up to the table, Castiel was pretty much ignoring him and staring at the TV. It was no less than what Sam expected. Not commenting, he headed back to the bar. He spoke some more with the people around the bar, joking and talking a little sports. A group of guys were chugging beer on the other end of the bar and one of them yelled out, "Hey Winchester, let's see who's the last man standing."

"Sorry... weeknight," Sam said, cocking his head to the side and ignoring the boos and light-hearted insults about his too conscientious study habits. Course he'd have a single beer once he was off work, made possible by his fake ID and the cooperation of the bartenders who had to know his real age.

Seeing a plate get pushed up under the heating lights, Sam went to pick up Castiel's order and brought it to him. As he placed everything on the table, he rolled his eyes at Castiel's selections and muttered, "A salad wouldn't have killed you."

"I don't like the salads here," Castiel said with a shrug and handed Sam seventeen dollars for the food. "Fourteen eighty-seven, right?" At Sam's nod, Castiel added, "Keep the change."

Once Sam left, Cas began devouring the nachos. He'd missed lunch and dinner and was hungry. The last thing he wanted was another peanut butter and jelly sandwich or Ramen noodles for dinner. The nachos were done just right and he was enjoying them enough he almost missed the snickers and comments about the "freaky flasher" or the new superhero, "Trench coat Man." He hunched over a little and tried hard to ignore the rowdy guys from the fraternity. He just wanted to eat in peace and go back to his room. More insults were tossed his way, then there were taunts back and forth about who would be able to hit him with spitballs. 

Cas picked up his fork, twisted and launched it in their direction. It tines buried themselves deep into the drywall and its handle vibrated. "Leave me the fuck alone," he snarled at them, getting to his feet. The bar fell suddenly silent except for the blaring TVs.   
He glared at the fraternity punks, realized he was the center of attention of just about everyone in the bar and decided he wasn't really hungry anymore. Leaving his food behind, he headed for the door.

Dragging his gaze away from the still vibrating fork, Sam quickly got a to-go box and started to head for the abandoned table. He was just beginning to load the box when he heard some laughter, glanced at the kids who'd apparently taunted Castiel, and saw one of them launch a beer-filled plastic cup toward Castiel's back.

"Hey!" Dropping everything, Sam barreled toward the group, shouting "put that down!" when he saw a second student preparing to join the attack. 

"Who's gonna stop me?"   
When Sam moved to do just that, punches started being thrown. He blocked the first couple of punches, then started hitting back. Shouts of encouragement and outrage erupted. Grabbing someone by the shirt, Sam dragged his body across the bar in a move that would have made his brother proud. Course he'd ignored his blind spot and was hit squarely in the jaw and the side of his face by a chair that had been thrown at him. "Sonova..."  
Castiel had just reached the door when all hell broke loose in the bar. He'd heard Sam's yell and turned, watching the bar erupt in battle. When he saw his roommate take a chair to the side of his head, he felt his own pent up fury blossom. He charged back into the bar, swung the kid around who'd nailed Sam with the chair, and punched him hard, knocking him over a table. He put his back to Sam's to protect him from any and all comers from that side, catching a couple blows himself but retaliating in kind and holding his ground. 

They fought well in unison, Sam had to admit that much. It did feel strange to have Castiel at his back though, and not only because that was usually Dean's place in a fight. There was something more. It felt like there was this strange push-pull between them, like a magnet or a magnetic field. Pondering the fact earned him another unwanted blow to the gut. Cursing again, he paid more attention to the fight. Only those fighting in the core were trying to do real damage to him and Castiel. Around the edges, people were just fighting for the hell of it.

Castiel usually avoided fights but he certainly knew how to fight. It seemed to come to him as naturally as languages. Maybe it was his empathy, it acted as an early warning of a blow aimed at him and allowed him to block or circumvent it. The students around him were most definitely pissed and wanted a piece of both of them, but he wasn't sure that wasn't just the liquor. A barstool came at him and he twisted to take the blow on his back. He let out a cry of pain as his bound wings took the blow. If they hadn't been bound, it wouldn't have hurt like it did, and he wasn't entirely certain but he thought he felt a soft 'crack' in the bones of his wings.   
Now he was really pissed. 

He didn't hold back as he punched anyone who came near enough for him to nail and he typically sent them flying backwards a good five feet or more. In a moment when there was no one around him, his senses went on high alert. He grabbed Sam by the wrist and shot through the doors that lead to the cooking area and straight out the rear exit. "Cops," he told Sam as he dragged him toward their dorm at a dead run. 

Sam hadn't heard a thing but moments later, lots of kids were running out after them and he knew Cas was right. They were almost to the dorms when he slowed them up and gave an amused drawl. "You can let go now."

Castiel didn't understand why Sam was slowing down. They should get in the dorms and out of sight. When he heard Sam's comment, he looked a little chagrined and let go of Sam's wrist. "Uh, yeah. Sorry," he said and stuffed his hands in his trench coat pockets. "We should probably get inside fast so security or cops don't see us. I hope...I hope that fight doesn't cost you your job."

"Yeah, guess we should." Sam wanted to ask questions, but Cas was right. "Forget about the job, I'm also tutoring part time. I'll get by," he said, stepping up next to Cas and thumping him on the back. "Got a mean right hook," he said as he headed for the dorm. 

Castiel strangled back a cry at the pain that shot through his wing. "T-thanks," he said, swallowing hard and telling himself he wasn't going to throw-up, that he'd make it to the room.

The hall was pretty quiet because it was late. Once they got into their room and Sam turned the lights on, he gave a short laugh. "You're a mess." He was sure he looked the same since he tasted blood and felt his cheek welling up, but he was used to it. "I've got some stuff, I can take care of your cuts," he said.  
Going to his side of the closet, Sam got his med kit out of his duffel bag. "Bathroom?" he pointed with his chin for Cas to walk in ahead of him.

Castiel went into the bathroom and lowered the lid on the toilet, sitting down, hissing as it caused his wing to shift. He needed to get the harness off, get his wings stretched out and see how bad it was. At least he could take solace in the fact that his wing would heal in a day or two, and likely his cuts and bruises would be gone soon as well. He didn't really see the sense of bandaging them, but when he looked at his reflection in the mirror, he saw he did look like shit. "I guess for my first bar fight, I did okay."   
"First my ass." Sam gave him a knowing look and grabbed a towel, running water over one corner. Stepping closer, he lifted Castiel's jaw and started to clean the cuts. Suddenly, the bathroom felt too small for the two of them. This wasn't at all like taking care of Dean. Not at all. His pulse was racing and that freaky, freaky sensation was back. It took a lot of effort to act as if nothing was wrong. "Let me know if I'm too rough."

"It's fine," Castiel said, feeling a little thrill go through him at Sam's touch and not really understanding it. But it had been that way from the start. There was something about him. "And it _was_ my first bar fight. Just not my first fight."

"I see. So, what's your story?" He gave Cas a pointed look but found he had to look away when their eyes met. "I mean, how'd you learn to throw knives. Or forks," he said with a shrug, dabbing the towel lightly over Cas' lower lip. The urge to offer to kiss him better came out of nowhere and was especially ridiculous considering their relationship. Clamping down on it, Sam tried to concentrate on taking care of Cas' injuries and not thinking of anything beyond that.

"My step-father. He used to throw knives for a living. He worked the carnival circuit until he met my mom and settled down with her. I think sometimes he still misses the carnival but he says he doesn't. He taught me how to fight, a little gymnastics, even some trapeze work. After he married mom, he went to college and became a vet. Mom makes specialty cakes, you know, for weddings and big events. She knows how to throw knives too," he said with a grin that hurt his lip. "So who taught you to fight? I'm surprised anyone would mess with you."

"I have a brother, we wrestled a lot." Wrestled, went shooting, had to learn to hunt with a bow and arrow and how to wield knives and swords. Too bad it wasn't for some carnival, but then again, that would mean clowns... something that at least used to send chills down his back. Sam started to carefully dab some iodine on Castiel's cuts and was a little late in warning about the sting. "Sorry." Their eyes met again. He held Castiel's gaze far longer this time, though he hardly dared to breathe. 

Staring into Sam's eyes, Castiel barely felt the sting. So much emotion and turmoil in those beautiful eyes. He was hardly ever this close to anyone, close enough that he could simply lean forward and...his eyes dropped to Sam's lips and wondered what it would be like to kiss someone... to kiss Sam....  
He reached out and lightly touched the bruising developing along Sam's face where the chair hit him. "That's going to be a bad bruise," he said quietly. His hand slid down a little lower and his thumb brushed over Sam's split lip. "Does it hurt much?"

"I don't feel it," Sam whispered, his eyes closing slightly as a whole lot of other feelings, feelings he really shouldn't be having, rushed through him. Afraid he'd give himself away and buy himself a whole new reason Castiel would want him out of their room, he pulled back a little. "I'll take care of it when I'm done with you. Lemme see your hands." He'd seen the grazed knuckles.

Reluctantly Castiel dropped his hand away from Sam's soft lips and held both his hands out for him. "It's not bad," he said, although now that he was paying attention, one hand hurt like a bitch since the adrenalin was fading. It looked like he'd dislocated a knuckle on his left hand. He'd have to fix it himself because there was no way he was going to the clinic for it.  
"Ouch," Sam contradicted him on seeing the injury. "Dude you've popped your joint out. You're better off seeing a doctor who can give you anesthetic." The instant he took Castiel's hand in his, a powerful current ran up his arm, strong enough to make him exhale audibly. Once he got used to the current, he again became aware of the underlying, more sexual, tension. The hell... most of the time, he tried to ignore this guy.

Quickly, but gently, Sam cleaned the scrapes and took care of them, then met Castiel's eyes to see what he wanted to do about the dislocated knuckle.  
From the way Sam exhaled, Cas knew Sam felt the charge between them as strongly as he did. He wondered if Sam felt his emotions the way he could feel Sam's. The feelings coming from Sam were a wild mixture of things, same as they'd always been, just ten times stronger. He suddenly found himself wishing Sam would kiss him. When their gazes locked with one another though, he found he couldn't ask Sam that. It was a stupid, childish wish anyhow. Practical. Stay with the practical he told himself firmly. "Can you put it back in place?" Castiel asked him hopefully. He knew it would heal twice as fast if it was in place compared to if his body had to shift it itself. And it would hurt less.

For one crazy moment, Sam thought Castiel was going to close the distance between them. "You sure you want this? It's gonna hurt like a sonovabitch."

"Yes," Cas said without hesitation, though fixing his knuckle wasn't the question he was actually answering.

"'Kay." He'd done this a hundred times, for his dad, for Dean and even on himself. Why the hell was he having trouble thinking straight now? Blinking away the uncertainty, Sam grasped Castiel's wrist with one hand to keep him from jerking his hand away. Sliding his own index finger under the dislocated joint, he closed his hand around Cas' dislocated middle finger and pressed his thumb over the knuckle. "You ready? Brace," he said, pulling Cas' finger back and then manipulating it into place with an up and down movement of his own index finger and thumb.

Castiel strangled back any sound of pain as Sam fixed the knuckle.  
"It's over." Realizing he couldn't pull his hand away because it was still pinched between Castiel's middle finger and palm, Sam managed a laugh. "You can let go of me now."

 _But I don't want to..._ Castiel stared at Sam for a moment and slowly eased the pressure on Sam's hand, releasing him. "Thank you," he said. "It's your turn now. We'll trade places and I can take care of you." 

"Nah. I got this. Just a couple scratches, anyway," he said, turning to dig into the kit. Pulling out an ice pack, he squeezed it to pop the separation between the chemicals, felt it grow cold and handed it to Cas. "Here, to keep the swelling down."

Leaning in toward the mirror, Sam started to take care of his own injuries. His gaze strayed to Castiel's reflection a couple of times. Of course he'd expected Cas to walk out instead of watching him. And yeah, the room still felt crowded. Usually quite sure of himself, Sam found he had no clue where he stood or what was going on. 

Castiel couldn't stop watching Sam or wanting to help, but seeing that Sam kept glancing at him, he got the hint and finally rose to his feet. As he started to slip by Sam, his foot caught on the small carpet. To keep himself from tumbling to the ground, he put his hands on Sam's waist which had the front side of his body colliding against Sam's back. The explosion of electric charge from full body contact between them practically stunned Castiel and he gripped Sam's side tighter out of reflex. 

Sam's stomach clenched. The flood of heat rushing through his system had him reeling. His mouth was burning, his hands burning... itching to touch Castiel in not so innocent ways. His gaze dropped to the hands on his waist. One touch, how could it have such a powerful effect on him? The air thickened with the tension between them, with the temptation to just kiss his roommate and get it over with. Right, that was a one way ticket to drama and possibly getting thrown out of the dorms.  
Still, with neither one of them moving to untangle themselves, Sam's needs were intensifying. Slowly, he turned, his chest and body lightly pressing against Castiel's as he took a few steps until Cas was outside the bathroom door. "I'll be... I'll be out in a minute. Ice. The finger, I mean," he said, sounding incredibly winded. As he pulled away, Castiel's hands finally fell away from his back.

Closing the door, Sam went back to the sink and leaned in. He could still feel the hot imprint of Castiel's hands on his waist, his fingers grazing his stomach. He could still feel him pressed against his back and God... the jolt of heat that had passed through him the instant their shocked eyes had met in the mirror. Right. He had to pull himself together before this spun out of control. 

* 

When Sam had pulled away, Castiel had wanted to wrap his arms around Sam and hold him there, bask in the energy that was between them, bask in the touch of another person, and feel Sam's soft lips press against his. Only after Sam shut him out of the bathroom did his head finally began to clear. What was he thinking? He couldn't have a relationship with anyone! They would discover his wings and just what a freak he was and the outcome could be from bad to horrible. 

He laid down on his bed without getting undressed and put the icepack back on his hand. As soon as Sam fell asleep he would release his wings and see how badly injured they were.

Naturally, when Sam came out of the bathroom, he took his time getting out of his clothes. To Cas, it seemed to take   
forever until Sam finally got into his bed and shut the lights. 

He was practically cursing, waiting for Sam to fall asleep as Sam seemed intent on staying awake long into the night. Every once in a while, he'd check and see the guy laying there with his elbows out, hands under his head and staring at the ceiling. Even after he finally closed his eyes, he moved around, like he couldn't get comfortable. 

Once Sam's breaths became shallow and even, Castiel crept out of bed and walked into the bathroom, turning the light on only after he shut the door. Carefully he pulled off his trench coat. Trying to get his t-shirt off was impossible, it hurt too much. Sam had left his medical kit on the counter and Castiel used the scissors from it to cut his t-shirt off, then he released the harness. He found he could spread his left wing open without much trouble, but his right wing was another matter. He hadn't much more than opened it a quarter of the way when pain shot through it and had him gasping. He ran his fingers along the wing's edge until he found the area that was so painful. Looking in the mirror, he saw there was a bit of blood where his skin had split open.

He took out a couple wraps from the kit and carefully wrapped part of his wing. Unfortunately, he couldn't pull the wing in, tight against his body, and he knew, just simply knew, that it needed to be stretched out for at least a little, while it healed. He'd simply have to stay in bed tomorrow, under the covers, and hopefully by the next day he could once again bind his wings. 

Tossing his destroyed t-shirt into the trash, he closed up the medical kit and turned off the light. Hanging up his trench coat in his room, he stripped out of his bed and hid his harness, then snuck back to bed. Settling onto his stomach and pulling the covers up and over himself, Cas let his wings stretch out a bit and sighed. It felt so damned good to not sleep with that freaking harness on. Hopefully he would wake before Sam, but he tucked the sheets in under him just in case it was Sam who woke first.

***

When Sam got up and decided to hit the shower, he noticed Castiel had changed in the middle of the night and was now bundled inside the blankets like he was in a cocoon. You'd think the weather was cold. His injured hand was nowhere to be seen but the ice pack had slipped to the floor.

In the bathroom, Sam noticed the shirt in the waste paper basket. Usually it meant blood damage but when he picked it up, he only saw it had been cut off. Questions tumbled in his mind but he had issues of his own to contend with today. He'd had bad dreams again. Fighting shadowy things he couldn't see, being faced with fangs and claws everywhere he turned. It usually ended with blood, black and tainted blood, dripping into his mouth and fingers digging into his cheeks, forcing his mouth to stay open. This time, instead of the forced feeding that usually woke him, white feathers had caressed him. Soothed him. Let him fall back into a restful sleep. 

But that didn't mean everything was fine. Not by a long shot.

Sam had noticed that that things had been moved around the room. The pile of clothes that Cas had carefully folded for Sam, to Sam's consternation, had been thrown to the floor. Sam collected them and dumped them into the bottom of his closet, but they were a reminder that he didn't always have control over this power in him. Though he made light of it and even used it to entertain himself sometimes, it could be less than convenient and, perhaps one day, scary. And what if Castiel had seen thinks moving around at night? Cas called himself a freak. Ha! If only he knew things could be so much worse than a probably imagined medical condition.  
After his shower, knowing Cas only had one afternoon class on Fridays, Sam quietly slipped out of the room. 

* * *

Castiel slept all through the morning. Between his body healing itself and the joy of being able to sleep with his wings unbound, his body insisted on keeping him asleep. He finally awoke around three and was pleased to see he was alone. Getting up, he slowly stretched. His wing still hurt but he could open it three quarters of the way. By tomorrow or Sunday, it would be as if it had never been hurt. Looking down at his hands, the bruising and scrapes were half-healed. He hoped Sam would buy that he was just a fast healer.

He'd had strange dreams when he'd first fallen asleep. Dreams of evil things, monsters and demons. He'd fought them off, only to find Sam in the midst of them, tears on his face and fury in his eyes. He had held Sam and wrapped his wings protectively around him. A yellow-eyed shadow had tried to beat through, to reach Sam, but Cas kept it at bay, protecting Sam from it. Kissing Sam...

The dreams had then transformed to a glowing man, the man who his mother had time and again told him was his father. The glowing man told him to stay away from Sam, that Sam was marked, blighted, and would bring Castiel nothing but heartache with his taint of evil. The glowing man pulled Castiel away from Sam and when Castiel glanced over his shoulder, he saw the shadow-man had stepped up beside Sam, his arm wrapped around his shoulder and chains on Sam's wrists. He fought to escape the hold the glowing man had on him, to get back to Sam, but Sam faded away. Any other dreams he had, Cas didn't remember. 

He stepped into the shower and washed away the strange dreams and let the heat soothe his still somewhat sore muscles. Leaving his wing unwrapped, he dressed in some simple sweats, no shirt. He ordered a pizza to be delivered, fully loaded because he was starved as hell, and then tidied up the room, mildly irritated to find the clothes he'd folded so neatly for Sam on the floor of the closet. He refolded them, then after scrubbing the bathroom clean, then turned to his school work. When the pizza arrived, he draped his coat over his shoulders, paid the delivery guy, and then sat on his bed, eating pizza and listening to the classical station on the radio. Soon after, he returned to his homework, listening to the sounds of Friday night partying from outside the window and also in the hallways.

*

It was sometime after two or three a.m., Sam wasn't really sure. As he slumped against the wall wishing the world would stop spinning so fast, the shadowy person who'd helped him get back to his room unlocked the door for him. "Thanks... Bill... Brent...Bubba... whatever."  
"Need help getting into bed, Winchester?" There was laughter.

"Nah, I'm good," Sam said straightening. Once he got inside, he stumbled. "Did you move the fucking light switch?" 

The sound of door opening, the laughter, and then Sam's cursing, was all too much for Castiel to sleep through. Especially since he'd slept so long the night before. He could smell the alcohol and easily saw Sam in the dark. He sat up, folding his wings in as close to himself as he could. "The light switch is where it's always been. You want some help? You smell like you drank half the bar."

"No... I'm good...dammit!" Sam went plummeting to the ground. "You moved the freaking floor!" he muttered, trying to push himself back up. "Just because I move your pictures around... damn."  
Castiel rolled his eyes. "Yes, Sam, I moved the floor." He got out of bed and walked over to where Sam was lying. Grabbing hold of his arm, he helped Sam up to his knees. "C'mon Jolly Green, let's get you in bed and undressed. And I'll bring over the trashcan for when you start throwing up." 

"Alright. But stop moving so much," Sam said throwing his arm around Cas' shoulders. "You're the best, man... best," he said squeezing his shoulder as he made an effort to stand. "Except when you're moving crap." He started to stagger step toward the nearest bed.

"Yeah, I know. I'm a saint," Cas muttered as he struggled with keeping Sam on his feet. When Sam started to fall again, Castiel's wings spread open, helping him to keep his balance. Cursing, he told himself it was dark and Sam was drunk off his ass. He wouldn't remember a thing. Right? "Just a few more steps, Sam, we're almost--no that's my bed. My--" he let out a sigh as Sam collapsed onto Castiel's bed. "Fine, you can sleep there tonight. Let's get you undressed."   
"Mmm, nice and warm." Sam sniffed the pillow, drawing in the clean, fresh scent of his roommate, then rolled over onto his back with his legs and arms sprawled wide. Reaching for Cas, he gave a lopsided smile. "Did you say undress..."

"Yes, undressed. I mean, you know, so you can sleep," Castiel said, leaning over and taking hold of the hem of Sam's shirt. "C'mon Sam, help me out here. Help me get your shirt off."

"M'kay." Instead of helping, Sam slid his hand up Castiel's bare arm and shoulder, cupping his neck and pulling him close. "You're a good guy. Did I tell you I like you?" Sam sniffed, "I mean, in case I die or something ... just thought you should know. And you smell really, really good."

"I-I didn't think you liked me much at all," Castiel admitted, startled by Sam's actions. "You're not going to die. Why would you think that? You're, uh, welcome to use my organic soap and shampoo if you like its smell so much," he told Sam, at a loss as what to do. The charge between them was definitely still there and Castiel licked his lips. Sam wouldn't remember, he kept telling himself. "Uh, how do you like me? Like me like you want to kiss me? Or like me as your freak roomy?"  
"Yeah, _just_ like that." Sam let out a hot breath. He started to push up and banged his forehead against Cas'. "You moved again," he said reproachfully, trying to pull his shirt off.

"Ouch!" Castiel complained. Frustration at his drunken roommate's lack of an answer was at least counter balanced by Sam's efforts to help work his shirt off. He wasn't certain if Sam was more help or hindrance, but finally Sam was bare-chested. Castiel turned Sam's shirt right-side out and folded it, setting it on the nightstand. "Okay, let's get your shoes off. Don't kick me."

Eyes closed, Sam lay still and let Cas get his shoes. When he felt him move next to him, he opened his eyes again. "Hey." Watching under his lashes, he saw Cas lean over him but hesitate. "It's okay. You can get in my pants," he said, then started laughing and squirming, lifting his hips. "Belt."

"Belt. Right. At least you're a nice drunk," Castiel muttered. After another moment of hesitation he reached forward. "For God's sake, I've already seen you buck-ass naked. This isn't a big deal, right?" He fought with Sam's belt and finally got it undone. When he reached in with both hands to unbutton Sam's jeans, his fingers slid between the waistband and Sam's firm abs. An electric jolt shot through Castiel and he stood there frozen, wings opening, gasping for a moment.  
"Mmm," A soft moan escaped from Sam. "What's the holdup? You're acting like a virg..." His chin lifted as he tried to focus on the wings spread out high above Castiel's back. Lifting his hand, he ruffled the feathers he could reach. "Cas, you have wings. No, I mean really," he said, pulling his hand back and looking at his palm before reaching out again. "Soft. I felt them touch me last night... before," he said, shaking his head, trying to clear his mind.  
Castiel's eyes grew large and he let out a small sound of surprise when Sam touched his wings. He'd never had anyone touch his wings before except his mother and father when the wings had first developed. After that he hadn't ever let them touch them again and had tried to hide them from their sight as much as from the world's. His wings snapped closed and he pressed them up against his back. "I don't have wings. You're seeing things," he told Sam firmly and quickly finished unbuttoning and unzipping Sam's pants. "Lift your hips so I can get these off you." 

"Then what?" Sam asked distractedly. Seeing some white peeping out at Cas' side, near his hips, he stroked those stray feathers. "You're not a sphinx, too small for that. Don't think you're a drazna or, yeah, I'd be dead by now." He sat up suddenly. "Cas, are you a harpy?" His hand had accidentally slipped over Castiel's groin. "Guess not," he said, dropping back down. "I know! Cupid. _Cupido_." He licked his lips and then crooked his finger. "Come closer, wanna tell you..."

Castiel jumped back a little when Sam's hand drifted over his groin and felt his face grow warm. And it felt so damned strange to have someone else touch his wings, and the current that went through him... Hesitantly Castiel let his wings open a little and curl forward, putting them in reach of Sam's hands. "I don't know what I am," he said softly. "I'm just a freak." He leaned down to see what Sam wanted to tell him.

"Makes two of us." Seeing Cas suddenly so close, Sam was a little startled. Then he remembered. "Oh... wanted to tell you." One of his hands, then both of them swept over the soft wings, giving him a strange sense of peace. "Closer." When Castiel's ear was over his mouth, he whispered. "Cupid. That's Latin for ... Eros. You know? Eros?" 

The feeling of Sam's hands over his wings made him shudder. It felt so good and nice. Leaning in closer only to hear Sam's drunken 'revelation' Castiel pulled back and looked at him. "Yes _Cupido_ is Latin for Cupid and Cupid is the Roman god of love. Eros was the Greek version." He scowled a moment. "I am _not_ Cupid."

"Desire. _Cupido._ Explains the... the tingling, the..." Dipping his hand in the waistband of Castiel's sweats, he pulled him close. "Desire." His hand slipped down Cas' thigh. "Cas?"

"I've never...never even kissed anyone before. And you're drunk. I know you don't really like me, not like that." Reluctantly, Castiel took Sam's hand away from his thigh and placed it on Sam's chest. He pulled his wings back and folded them as tightly against himself as he could given his injury. "Maybe...maybe if you were sober," he told Sam, brushing some hair off Sam's cheek. "Let me get your pants off you and get you covered up so you can sleep it off."

Sam was quiet for a while, letting Castiel work his pants down his body. He kept his focus on those fascinating wings, concentrating on them. Suddenly, they were blown forward, their tips grazing his body and now bare thighs. His smile fell away. "Uh oh... Cas, you should go. Yeah, I'm good, really," he said, sounding a little panicked. "Go."

Castiel's head jerked up, startled when his wings suddenly spread open and brushed over Sam's body. Pure fire raced up his wings and through his body. He hurriedly forced his uncooperative wings back down and tried very hard to ignore the tenting of his own sweatpants. "I've almost got this," he told Sam and moved to the end of the bed where he grabbed the pants cuffs and pulled. "See?"  
He put Sam's wallet on Sam's desk, then folded his pants and put them beside the wallet. Grabbing the blankets he had thrown off himself when he heard Sam enter, he tugged them out from under Sam and covered him, first taking a moment to admire Sam's muscular chest. "Go to sleep. You've had quite some hallucinations tonight."

Sam didn't argue. He rolled over onto his stomach, making a soft sound as the erection he'd been trying to hide from Cas pressed into the mattress. It was a really good thing he was drunk. Wrapping his arm around the pillow, he sniffed it again and was quickly swallowed up by sleep.

Once Sam seemed settled, Castiel sat down on Sam's bed and slipped under the covers. He was certain he would wake long before Sam so he left his shirt off. He rubbed his fingers over his lips, wondering what it would have been like to kiss Sam. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and let sleep take him.


	3. Chapter 3

Sam was a little disoriented when he woke. Stretching, he kicked the blankets off his body, and then sat up. He remembered being an idiot and taking up the drinking challenges and... maybe he'd blacked out. Shit, that was going way farther than he should have. He knew the dangers of being out cold and unable to protect yourself, even if he sometimes liked to pretend the world could be a safe place.

He ought to have a headache, feel sick, something. Instead, he felt perfectly fine, other than he was imagining himself on the wrong bed. Rubbing his eyes, he looked over at the other bed again, and the door, then back at the other bed. Yeah, the unslept-on bed was his own and he was in Castiel's bed! 

Jackknifing up, he caused something to fall off his chest. Bending over the side of the bed, he picked up a long white feather. "Huh." Tapping it on his bare thigh, he thought back to his muddled dreams. Once again, soft white feathers had figured into them, but there hadn't been any nightmares. At least that was a plus, he thought, getting out of bed. Dropping the feather on his desk, he started to head for the bathroom when Cas came out of it.

They stood in front of each other, staring. Sam licked his lips and looked at the mussed up bed, then back at his roommate who was dressed but hadn't pulled on his trench coat for once. Awkward as it was, it had to be asked. "Cas, did we... did you and I... did we sleep together?" Sam asked, his finger waving back and forth between the two of them.

Castiel hesitated a moment then shook his head. "I know you don't really like me like that. It was the alcohol talking..."

"You mean..."

"... I told you 'no.' You were pretty drunk, babbling about all sorts of crazy things. I...I figured it would be really awkward come morning, you know, I mean if we had. Don't worry about it. You didn't even try to kiss me or anything. We're good, okay?" He gave Sam a slight smile and squeezed his shoulder as he walked by. "That is, we're good so long as you stop moving my pictures around." 

Sam slowly turned around, his gaze following Castiel. It wasn't clear whether he had or hadn't hit on his roommate but he knew Castiel was blunt enough that he would have told him if he'd done anything Castiel didn't like. "Uh, Cas?" He nervously ran his hand through his hair. "How did I do that. Move the pictures," he asked, every muscle in his body tensing. 

Castiel waved his hand at the couple pictures he had on the wall. "Well, that's not the order I put them up there and you admitted as much when you accused me of 'moving the floor' when you fell on your face last night. You up for coffee and cinnamon rolls? I jogged over to that donut shop and picked some up."

Letting out a breath of relief, Sam gave a nod. "Sure." He walked to the bathroom, turned at the door. "Thanks. For last night. Sorry if I was a pain in the ass, it won't happen again," he said with a sheepish grin.

"Every once in a while, you have to blow off steam. It's not like we have classes or anything today. It's okay," Cas answered before the door closed behind Sam.

Putting the rolls on two plates, Castiel warmed them in the microwave and poured coffee for each of them. He was Carrying a mug and plate over to Sam's desk but nearly dropped them when he saw one of his feathers on Sam's desk. Had it just fallen there? Had Sam seen it? Setting the dishes down he picked up the feather and was trying to decide what to do with it when Sam reappeared.

"Hey, put that down. It's mine," Sam said pointedly, walking past Cas and looking into his closet to grab some clothes. Turning to look over his shoulder, he saw the feather still in Cas' hand. "No really, put it down."

"I didn't know you collected feathers," Castiel said and put the feather back on the desk. _Crap!_ "Looks big enough to belong to a swan or something." He walked back over to his own cup of coffee and roll and carried them to his desk.

"Yeah. I dreamed it and there it was." Sam laughed, like it was a joke. Pulling on a pair of jeans, he walked back and sat down at his desk, next to Castiel's, and reached for the coffee. Despite the fact it was hot as hell, he took a couple of sips and set it down. "How's your hand?" 

"My hand? Oh, it's fine. I mean, you know, considering. The swelling is pretty much gone. It's still sore, but I guess you have magic fingers or something, because it's a lot better than I figured it would be. You should consider becoming a doctor. You're good at it."

"Magic fingers." Snickering, Sam started in on the cinnamon roll. He glanced at Cas, then started laughing outright. "I think I'm going to use that as a line." It was really more Dean than him, but the thought was amusing enough. "Magic..." he wiggled his fingers, then took yet another bite.

Castiel gave him a strange look, then smiled and chuckled. "Yeah. Magic. Oh, speaking of, did you hear back from your brother? Did the information help him with his book?" He took a big bite of the cinnamon roll. They were one of his weaknesses.

"Yeah, he's fine. I mean the information, it helped him past the writer's block. Dean's kind of... high strung." Picking up the feather, he started twirling it around and alternately tapping it on the desk. "I don't think it's a swan feather."

Hurriedly swallowing his mouthful of cinnamon roll, Castiel asked as levelly as he could. "No? Then what type of bird do you think it's from?" 

Sam gave a shrug. "I dunno. Ever researched bird feathers?"

"...No. But my dad's a vet. I could send it to him and he could probably take one look and tell us," Castiel offered, hoping Sam would be willing to part with it.

Running his finger over the feather, Sam felt a slight but familiar ripple of energy from it. His gaze swung to Castiel but what could he say? Ask the dude if he had feathers? Owned the feather? "Send a picture from your cell. The feather stays. It's ... mine." The word came unbidden. He'd meant to say 'important.' Running it across his cheek, he carefully set it down. "You like soccer? There's a game," he looked at his watch, "starting in a few. You wanna go?"

Before he had an answer from Cas, his phone was ringing. Looking at the face of the phone, he saw it was Dean and took the call. "Yeah? Uh huh, I'm fine. You bet." He rolled his eyes, blatantly lying in response to Dean's questioning whether he was protecting himself with salt lines and all the other crap they did when they were on hunts. "Yeah... Dean, I'm fine, alright. I'm fine." He let out a sigh, then huffed, "It's none of your business how many times I've gotten laid. Dude! Bye Dean." Exasperated, he pressed the end button and stood up. "So, game? And leave the coat behind, you don't need it," Sam said, his gaze raking over Castiel, once again wondering what the deal was with the coat. 

Castiel was still chuckling at Sam's responses to his brother. "Maybe I'm glad I don't have an older over-protective brother. You should have told him twenty times or something." He gave a nod, "Sure, I like soccer," Castiel said. "But the coat comes."

"How are you gonna play in a trench coat?" Sam demanded.

"Play? I thought you meant to watch! I don't...I don't do sports. I'll just come watch you play and cheer your team on. How about that?"

"It's gonna be sort of informal, not real teams, but yeah, sure." Sam was a little reluctant because it was practically guaranteed that someone would make fun of Castiel's dress choice on the school field in the middle of what would likely be a hot afternoon. "Alright," he said, resolving himself to trying to shield Castiel from any flack, though he realized the guy was well able to protect himself. 

"We can stop at the school store and pick up some cold water for everyone," Castiel suggested as he grabbed his coat and shrugged into it. He knew the jocks would probably make fun of him, but there was no way he could play. Maybe buying them off with cold water would help. "Don't look so worried, Sam. I'm used to the comments."

"Yeah." Sam got up again and headed to the chest of drawers to grab a shirt. "Beer. I think beer will go a lot farther. I've got a fake ID," he said. 

* * *

Castiel was surprised as over the next few weeks Sam tended to invite him along to parties or get-togethers with other students. Castiel tended to be quiet, but he listened and laughed and enjoyed himself. People asked him about the coat and he just said it was a medical condition and part of it was he was always cold and the coat seemed to work the best for him. By adding that new excuse, some of the people stopped giving him flack, and sometimes even came to his defense. He could see in Sam's eyes that Sam didn't really fully believe it, but never called him on it.

The heat that flared inside Castiel when he got close to Sam only seemed to grow stronger as the days passed, but Sam never gave any indication that he felt anything so Cas could only assume the things he felt went only one way. The one time Sam had sort of made a pass at him, he'd been drunk as hell, so Cas wasn't sure that really counted. It didn't matter anyhow. The moment Sam reached under his coat, under his shirt, and discovered feathers, that would be the end of that and probably college. Everyone would want a look at the feathered freak.

It still didn't change that sometimes when they were out with a group, Castiel found himself feeling a little jealous. He liked it when just he and Sam got together between classes and had lunch by themselves. He never had the nerve to make a pass at Sam. Sam was popular and he was just the sympathy tag-along that Sam was kind enough to include and he knew it.

He'd told Sam his step-father said the feather was most likely from a large Great Egret. Someone must have gone to a zoo and picked up the feather, then lost it and Sam found it. Again, he wasn't sure Sam bought it and try as he might, he couldn't get Sam to part with the feather. He finally resigned himself to the fact that Sam was going to keep it, no matter what. At worst, what could happen? Sam might take it to some biologist who knew birds? His stepfather said Castiel's feathers looked different, more perfect than any he'd ever seen, but unless DNA was run on it, a specialist would at worst be baffled and at best, attribute it to some bird, or even a new species. Castiel knew Sam wouldn't part with the feather long enough for DNA to be taken, or even let it be damaged by other testing. He slept with it beside his head on his pillow, swearing it helped him sleep better.

Everyone was gathering in the dorm's community room for a big midterm study session. Castiel was surprised when some of the other dorm residents stopped by and made sure he was coming. He suspected his good grades contributed to their interest in him showing up. Apparently it was a big pizza party, caffeine-fest, as everyone studied, with plenty of breaks taken for socializing and joking around. He grabbed his books and notes and headed to the community room and shelled out ten bucks, like everyone else, for food and drinks. Across the way, he saw Sam studying, tossing questions back and forth with some of his classmates, and sometimes getting in heated arguments that usually resulted in everyone laughing it off in the end. Although he was working his way across the room to visit with Sam for a bit before starting his own studying, he kept getting stopped by fellow classmates, chatting with them and helping answer a study question now and again.

He'd grabbed a Dr. Pepper for Sam and Coke for himself from the cooler when he saw someone was putting on a video and realized it was one of the film students' compositions of dorm life. Finally reaching Sam, he sat down a few seats away and shoved the drink he'd got for Sam across the table to him. Grabbing a piece of pizza, he watched the video as he ate, laughing with the others at some of the funnier scenes. Jake with Miranda's panties on his head, everyone all painted up for the big game, then the vid cut to a chess championship and then back to a roaring crowd of students, making it seem as if they were all watching the competition. Castiel chuckled. Then it cut to people making out and there were a few squeaks of indignation from some of the girls who recognized themselves on the vid. 

Hand closed around his drink, Sam shook his head at a part of the video showing a guy in a lip lock with a girl who was definitely not his girlfriend. "Here it comes..."

"You bastard. You--!"

"Aw, come on Mol, it didn't mean any--"

A sofa pillow thudded against the transgressor's head and then he chased his presumably _ex_ -girlfriend out of the room amidst cat calls, boos and questionable advice. "Crawl baby, crawl."

"Your spy-vidding is gonna get someone in trouble someday," Sam told Eric, then looked down at his text book again.

"Like you wouldn't believe, Winchester."

Shrugging it off, Sam looked at Castiel. "Who arm-twisted you into studying here? I've asked you to come like a million times..."

"Some of my classmates, Del, Linda, even Eric stopped in to make sure I was coming. I figured I'd try it, but I don't know how successfully I'll be studying with all the racket," Castiel said, giving a small laugh. "But for all the pizza I can eat, I figured I'd make an exception and try it. At least for a few pizzas--uh, hours."

"Yeah, I studied the hard stuff already. I know better than to try to get a whole lot done here." Which was an understatement as the video was stirring up more laughs and arguments. 

"Sam's probably got his paper all done and turned them in early, too," one of the guys mocked.

"Actually, it's almost done. I'll be finishing it up tomorrow."

"See... early."

"Just one day," Sam said rolling his eyes, then hearing another commotion, slowly looking back at the T.V., his eyes widening. "Eric, you shit!"

The film student had managed to capture the conversation of a group of guys, mostly jocks, who'd just played soccer and were getting drinks and pouring water over themselves to cool off. A few of them were pressuring the others to point out which of the people sitting out at the bleachers, they'd do. 

_"Mary. She's stacked."_

_"Dude, you can't pick her, she didn't come to the game. It's got to be someone there."_

_"Jen."_

"Jennnn." There was a chorus of agreement in the study room and that had Jennifer smiling until some of the guys on the TV screen over-shared why she was so do-able. 

_"I pick Jess. So damned fuckable. I'd like to just bend her over and--"_

_"Dude!" Sam elbowed the guy and made a face. "It's like I'm surrounded by my brother."_

"Not cool," a couple people called out.

"Fast forward. Eric, fast forward the damned thing," Sam shouted across the room at the laughing jerk. "Seriously."

"But the best is yet to come!" Eric said, laughing harder.

_"I'd go for Kelly, she's got a sweet ass and her tits are big enough to suffocate in."_

_After a chorus of laughter and agreement, one of them nudged Sam. "What about you Winchester?"_

_"Yeah, Sam, who's your dream-fuck?" another asked._

_Sam shoved one of them away but amid repeated demands that he choose, he looked toward the bleachers. His teeth scraped across his lower lip as he studied the group. "I... fine. Castiel."_

_There was laughter and shoving. "No really, who'd you pick."_

_"No, really. Not that there aren't a couple of other great looking..."_

Sam closed his eyes. "Great."

_"... not that I have a prayer of getting under that damned trench coat..."_

Hardly daring to look at Cas, Sam glared at Eric. "If you just lost me a room, I'm taking your bed." Course he was aware of all the chatter. Some had known he swung both ways, others not so much.

Castiel nearly choked on his pizza. Washing it down with his Coke, he coughed a couple times and felt his face flush while some of the people in the room gave him wolf whistles and threw kisses. "I know you go both ways," Castiel said quietly to Sam. "You haven't lost your room." Seeing everyone still talking about it, in some cases making fun of both of them, Castiel stood and walked over to Sam. "Stand up," he demanded.

"This the part you try to punch me?" Sam asked, only half-kidding as he forced himself to meet Castiel's eyes. 

Castiel shook his head, "No." Since Sam didn't get up, Castiel placed a knee on either side of Sam's thighs, then leaned in as he wrapped his arm around Sam's neck, and kissed him.  
Sam's heart flip-flopped in his chest. His eyes slid closed as Castiel's lips moved over his ever so lightly, experimentally but without hesitation. Heat from Castiel's body seeped through his jeans, where their thighs touched and across the front of his body insulated by the flaps of the trench coat he'd taken such a dislike to. A thrill ran through him, pulsing like the current between them, pushing and pulling at them. Trapped, cocooned by Castiel, Sam moaned softly and closed his arm around Castiel's back, pulling him closer, practically into his lap. Reaching up with his other hand, he curled it around the back of Castiel's neck and deepened the kiss, pushing his tongue into the wet heat of Cas' mouth. His mouth burned, his skin grew warm and tight, the secret needs that had built up over the last few weeks surfacing, threatening to make him forget where they were.

Castiel couldn't believe he was doing this. He couldn't believe he was actually kissing Sam and that Sam _was kissing him back._ He wasn't quite sure what to make of Sam's tongue in his mouth. He knew it was 'French kissing' but he'd never kissed anyone before, let alone Frenched someone. He just tried to follow Sam's lead and not be a total loser when it came to kissing. He liked the way Sam pulled him close, the way Sam's hand was on the base of his neck. Underneath the coat, bound tightly in the harness, his wings shifted restlessly. He remembered how it felt to have Sam touch his wings. The heat between them was ratcheting up but the growing whoops and catcalls, as well as a couple derogatory comments, finally made Castiel break off kissing Sam, panting and staring into Sam's eyes. 

"So...how was my first kiss?" he asked Sam softly. "I didn't totally suck, did I?"

"To be honest, I'd, you know, have to try it again to be sure it was as good as I thought." Sam grinned. "First kiss... ever, huh?" He started to pull Castiel close again when he noticed a silver light and turned his head to check it out. "Eric, if you're taping, I am going to break your camera."

"Get a room."

Chuckling at that, Sam hauled Cas off, and let him sit down at the empty chair next to him. "Yeah. Like going back to the room isn't going to be awkward." He looked over at Cas and seeing him draw into himself a little, he clarified, "I regret nothing."

"Same," Castiel said but felt very self-conscious. Now, not only was he the freak with the trench coat, but he was the freak with the trench coat who'd made a spectacle of himself. Still, no one had ever made him feel like Sam had. The strange connection, the electricity that practically hummed over his skin when Sam touched him...no, he didn't regret kissing Sam, and he gave a self-conscious smile as he reached for another piece of pizza, glancing at Sam and watching him from under his lashes.

Slowly, Sam turned back to his text book and then was drawn into a question asked by someone in his class. And Cas started to study and occasionally got up to help out one of the guys having trouble in his class. Though they mostly conversed with others, every once in a while their eyes met. From day one, Sam had been able to tell when Castiel was coming around the corner, but now, now he was even more aware of him. It had to do with his freaky powers, he knew it did. But exactly what it meant was a mystery. He'd been attracted to others, girls and guys before, but this strange awareness was all new. 

* * *

A phone call had come from Dean had Sam deserting the community room. Once he'd gotten to the quiet of his own room and called Dean back, he'd cursed under his breath. He'd told his brother a hundred times he'd call him if there were problems, yet Dean had to keep checking. He knew the unspoken reason was that Dean felt that Sam could go dark side or something without Dean there to control everything. Hating the reminder, even if silent, that he was a freak, Sam raised his voice, which lead to Dean raising his, and Sam ending the call before Dean was done.

Wound up, both by the conversation, and because Cas would probably be getting back to the room soon, Sam paced like a caged tiger. Then he forced himself to lounge on his bed, his back propped up by pillows, and book in his hand.

Castiel knocked lightly on the open door. "Hey. You done with your phone call? Safe to come in?" he called out. He didn't hear Sam talking but Sam could be on the phone, listening. Even from the doorway, he could feel the energy roiling from Sam. He hoped that was a good sign. What if...what if Sam chewed him out for kissing him in front of everyone? He should have asked he supposed. But what the hell did he know about how to do any of it? If Sam was really pissed...well, he could move to another room, switch with someone maybe...but he really hoped Sam wasn't mad at him...

"Come in." Sam lowered the book down onto his thigh as Cas walked in, carrying not only his own things but a heavy text book that Sam had left behind. "Sorry 'bout that," he said, rocking slightly back in response to the invisible push he felt as his roommate passed him. Something in Castiel's own reaction had Sam wondering whether he felt it too. When Cas turned, Sam asked. "What... what are you thinking?" He knew what he was thinking, that he'd like to take Castiel in his arms and continue what they'd started.

"Wondering if...are you pissed because I kissed you in front of everyone?" Castiel asked, returning to the door and shutting it. He rolled his eyes when he heard someone give a loud 'wahooo' as they walked by the room. Every time he walked by Sam, he felt like he was passing through a cloud of electricity and it made his skin tingle.

"No, not pissed. You? Pissed about what I said on tape? If I'd known Eric was around..." he said with a huff.

"Surprised. Just really surprised," Castiel admitted. "I've always tried to avoid attracting anyone to me. I...I really am a freak, Sam. I've got...weird freakiness on my back side and it goes all the way from my shoulders down to my calves. If you saw or felt it, you'd...you'd probably run from the room and never want to get near me again. If you told anyone...it could make my life pretty miserable." Castiel looked down at his hands. "I've really enjoyed hanging out with you and your friends. It's been cool to be hanging with the more popular people, even if I tried to hide in the background and not say much." He gave a soft, frustrated sigh. "And I really, really enjoyed our kiss."

It took Sam a moment to understand what Castiel was saying, or at least he thought he got it. "You've got scars? Dude, scars aren't a big deal. I got them. Probably will have a pile more," he said getting up. He started to pull his tee shirt up to show Cas a scar on his side when he realized Castiel's had to be a lot worse. Dropping his shirt, he crossed the room and cupped the side of Castiel's neck, using his thumb to lift the guy's face up. "Burn marks, something like that? I've seen it all. Trust me, I won't freak out," he said earnestly.

"No, not burns or scars. And believe me, you haven't seen it all. I have...you ever read about those people with extra fingers or toes, or sometimes a kid is born with a tail? I've got...I've got something...something kind of like that just...bigger. Extra parts that people don't usually have. Surgery didn't work. They just grew back." He stared into Sam's eyes, wanting Sam to tell him it was still okay, or for Sam to recoil and just say forget, he didn't want to know, didn't want to kiss a freak. "It's okay, you know, if you want to stop it all right here..." Castiel's voice trailed off. 

Now Sam started to worry. " _They_ grow back? What... what are we talking about?" His mind started to go toward supernatural creatures, or people who changed because something attacked them, or... hell, there were hundreds of things. No, this was just the hunter in him talking. Just because he and his family were up to their necks in things that would make people run screaming, that didn't mean that's what they were talking about here. And yet... 

He looked down for a moment, the struggle within him continuing. This time he could hear Dean's voice and his dad's, telling him not to reveal stuff about himself. Blowing out a breath, he looked back up. "Cas are we talking about things that go bump in the night?" He locked gazes with him. "I mean, did something happen to you. Or is something happening to you that you can't explain. Cas..." reaching out, he put his hands on the guy's shoulders. "You can tell me. I've seen things. Lots of things." 

Castiel gave as much a shrug as he could with Sam's hands on his shoulder. He bit his lip, debating what to say. He'd never told anyone before and it was scary to think he might tell Sam and then Sam would decide he should be committed. "I was normal, mostly, until I hit puberty. That's when it really started, when the extra bones starting growing. I always healed really fast. I've never been sick. My mom...look, my mom's really normal, not some crack-pot, but she always told me my dad, my real dad, was...different. Special. Kind and wonderful and handsome and sort of...God this is going to sound nuts...uh, glowed. Fuck...I don't know. Maybe she is nuts. Or maybe my dad was an alien. See. It's crazy and freakish and...and I should just stop talking now before you call the guys with the white coats." 

"The guys in white coats are useless when it comes to glowing and extra bones. You got hidden fangs? Tentacles? Or... any strange... needs, cravings?" Bad and not so bad scenarios were carding through Sam's mind. Some things you could fix. Some things you could live with. Some things... Well, he refused to go there yet. "I don't think you're nuts. I don't think your mom's nuts. But I do think we should figure out what's happening to you. I can help, if you let me."

It was Castiel's turn to look at someone like they were crazy, or making fun of him, but Sam seemed so sincere. He _felt_ so sincere. "I just have the...extra things on my back. No weird cravings. No claws, fangs, fur, scales, tail, nothing. Uh...alcohol doesn't get me drunk. I can drink a whole bottle of any hard liquor and I'm as sober as if I drank water." He met Sam's gaze dead on. "And when people are near me, I sort of know what they're feeling. If they touch me," he looked down at one of Sam's hands, "then it's ten times as strong." He tilted his head, his eyes begging. "What stuff have you seen?"

"All of the above, and more." Sam dropped his hands off Cas, unsure what messages he was sending through his touch. "I need to get something," he said, heading for the closet and getting his mostly empty duffel bag. He set it down next to his bed, sat down and pulled out a canteen of holy water. Opening it up, he set it on the nightstand and was about to get something else from the bag when his feather sort of drifted over the canteen. Frowning, Sam grabbed it and put it on the bed, then looked and saw the window was open. He hadn't felt a breeze though. "Come, sit on my bed," he said, patting the spot next to him.

Castiel moved to where Sam indicated and watched as his lost feather took to the air and drifted over the canteen again. He wasn't sure what was in the canteen but he felt his wings tingle and he itched to reach out and see what it held. "Now what?"

Reaching for the container, Sam pulled the feather away again. "The hell?" Dropping it onto his lap, he looked at Cas who was sitting across from him on the bed. "Put your hand out. It's just water." He poured a little on his own hand to show Cas that it was safe.

Cas held his hand out and watched anxiously as Sam poured the water into his palm. The water seemed to swirl and ripple like it was alive. Castiel grinned and poured it into his other hand. "It feels all tingly and good!" Castiel said, watching with fascination as it practically danced in his hands. He bit his lip and looked up at Sam. "It's not supposed to do that, is it?"

"No. But it's not burning you so..." His quick reflexes had him grabbing the feather that floated up toward Castiel's hand. "Are you doing this?" he demanded, wondering if Cas was like him in some ways. Maybe he could move things. "Cause the feather... still mine," he said, this time pinning it to the bed with his knee.

"No! How would I do that?" Castiel began laughing. "Possessive much? What is it about that feather?"

"I don't know," Sam answered a bit crossly, then lightened up and chuckled at himself. "I dunno, it's kind of soothing or something." He gave a shrug. "Ignore it, it has nothing to do with you. Now drink the water," he said, pointing with his chin at the water still cupped in Castiel's palm. 

Castiel bit back a comment about it having everything to do with him since it was his feather. He looked at the water swirling in his palm. "You sure?" he asked. At Sam's nod, Castiel brought his hand up to his mouth and slurped it up. "Tastes like water," he said, a little disappointed, but he did like the way it made a tingle run through him. He even felt his wings sort of try to fluff themselves. "Okay, maybe bubbly water," he amended. "Kind of tingles. So what's next?"

"That was holy water. It didn't smoke off you so it rules out a whole lot of evil things. But not everything." Sam's gaze lingered on the Castiel's lips, wet and glistening. Reaching out, he wiped the pad of his thumb across his roommate's mouth, sucking his breath in when his finger dipped slightly inside. "Ah... You're making it really hard to concentrate." 

Bending over the side of the bed, Sam retrieved a small dagger with a silver blade and set it down between them. He'd stuck another one in the waistband of his pants, at his back, just in case. "Silver reacts badly with the blood of a lot of other... _things_. Can you do this?" he asked. "Just a small cut."

"What if it...reacts badly to me? What then?" Castiel asked, eyeing the knife.

"Then we take one step at a time. Do you want me to do it for you?" Sam put his hand out, palm up.

"No, I can do it," Castiel said and picked up the knife. He looked at Sam briefly. It wasn't the blade that bothered him. It was the _what if._ Carefully he made a small cut on his finger, then smeared the blood on the silver blade. He watched the blood to see if it bubbled or did anything weird, like jump off the blade like in the cult classic movie "The Thing." But it didn't do anything but bead up a bit.

"Okay, I'm guessing that's good?" Castiel asked hopefully.

"Yeah, good." Sam released the breath he was holding. "That rules out a lot of other things," he nodded. "I mean you're not an evil shape shifter," which he'd already known, "and you can't be a werewolf," which he hadn't suspected in the first place, but he was trying to put Cas at ease and show him he'd seen all these things. "I know it's hard Cas, but can you show me? Whatever it is on your back, I promise you if you give me some time, we'll figure this out."

Castiel pushed himself to his feet and walked over to the window, pulling the drape open and looking out into the night. What would he do if Sam told people? All Sam had to do was grab his cellphone, snap one picture, and it would go viral. There would be a lot of people who wouldn't believe it was real, but those that did, they'd make his life hell. Sam could be bullshitting him about all this, but everything he felt coming from Sam, he didn't sense lies or that Sam wanted to see just to see.

"Okay...but put your cellphone in your desk. I don't want...pictures, okay? And you have to swear to me you won't tell anyone. Promise?" He turned and faced Sam, letting the drapes fall shut.

"If there's anything I know how to do, it's to keep a secret." Getting off the bed, Sam went and locked the door, then put his phone away in the desk drawer next to Castiel. He half-sat on the desk, hands on either side of his body, quietly waiting for Castiel to show him.

Facing Sam, Castiel slowly divested himself of his trench coat, letting it fall to the ground. Grabbing the hem of his shirt, he pulled it over his head, revealing the binding harness he wore. After unfastening the leather straps, he slowly spread his snow white wings up and out until their tips brushed the walls. He watched Sam's face the entire time. Since he'd never shown anyone before, he didn't really know what to expect. "A-1 Freak, yeah?"

Sam didn't know exactly what he'd expected but he'd been bracing for something horrible. Instead, Sam's gaze moved slowly over every inch of Castiel's magnificent wings. Pushing off the table, he gave a nod, "in the Angel from the X-men series kind of way. It's ah... Cas," his gaze locked with Castiel's. The ice chips had melted completely away, and instead, Sam could see clear through to Castiel's soul. His fear. Terror of what Sam would think. "I think they're beautiful. They suit you a helluva lot better than the trench coat," he said lifting and dropping his hands to his sides. 

He moved closer. "That's a lot of feathers but you _still_ can't have mine," he said, tugging his gaze away and snickering. Bet Castiel had been laughing his head off about his claiming the feather. He looked back. "Can I touch?"

"If you're really nice to me, maybe I'll give you a few more feathers," Castiel said, a weak smile on his face, relief washing through him. "Do you know how fucking hard it is to hide these things? Yeah, I stole the harness idea from the comic book. The trench coat was the best thing I could come up with. Leather's too hot, and capes are for superheroes, not," he waved his hand, "me." He let his wings fold down partially. "Yeah, you can touch. You did when you were drunk off your ass. Just, they're kind of...sensitive." He looked away from Sam for a moment, feeling the blush color his cheeks, then met Sam's gaze again.

"I'll be gentle." He ran his fingers across the edges of Castiel's wings, ruffling the feathers slightly. "Christ... my hands are sensitive," he said huskily, the now familiar current tingling up his arms. Stepping closer, inches from bodily touching Cas, he ran both hands up the guy's wings, instantly feeling something tug at him, an almost physical pull. "Cas, do you _feel_ me?" he asked, knowing it sounded crazy.

"Of course I do," Castiel said, closing his eyes. He could believe it if Sam told him electric sparks were jumping between Sam's hands and his wings. His wings curled forward, bracketing Sam, their tips touching him from shoulder to waist to thigh. Castiel let out with a soft groan as feelings and emotions rippled through him, feelings and emotions that he didn't think were his. His breath hissed between his teeth. "God, that feels good," he whispered hoarsely. 

Sam worked his jaw before he was able to get the words out. "No, I mean feel me when I'm not touching. Like a... a push or a pull. It's pulling now," he said, allowing himself to be tugged a fraction closer and desperately trying to remember to breathe. It felt more than good, running his hands down the wings, his fingers dipping between some of the feathers and feeling the brush of Cas' wingtips on his back and legs. It was incredible. It made him feel alive. Every freaking cell in his body buzzing. Screaming. Commanding him to bring their bodies together, to kiss Castiel again. As if he needed more encouragement, heat started to pool low in his belly.

"I always know when you're in the hall, where you are in the room. When we get close...yes. I feel it, the...tug. I just thought it was my imagination or something. I thought...I thought I was just crushing on you," he said, embarrassed. Castiel opened his eyes and tilted his head to look up into Sam's face. The desire he saw in Sam's face was overwhelming and almost frightening, but the feelings inside Castiel were likewise a tidal wave ready to sweep him away. Every touch to his wings, every stroke, filled him with more and more desire. "Kiss me? Please?" 

_"You don't know what he is."_

_"Quiet."_

_"Dude, he could have this big, long tongue that drills down into your--"_

_"Shut up."_

_"Maybe he wants to lay an egg--"_

_"Shut up, shut up, shut the fuck up."_

The instant Sam's lips ghosted over Castiel's, Dean's voice in his head was thankfully drowned out. 

Sam closed his arms around Castiel's waist, drawing him closer as he slanted his mouth over Cas' and dipped his tongue inside, pushing it past his teeth. Stroking Castiel's tongue, he twisted his own around it and started a slow game of tag. Cas might be inexperienced, but like everything else, he picked up on things quickly, and soon, Sam forgot this was only the guy's second kiss. Molding him closer, he started to kiss him a little more aggressively, exploring every corner of his mouth and weaving his tongue in and out. Heat inched through his veins, made him want so badly to take Cas to bed. The touches of Castiel's wings inflamed his need, eroding his control. Groaning, he knew he'd lose it in another moment, that there would be no turning back. 

He pushed Cas away, and stepped back, outside his wing span, breathing hard and aching for more of the guy. "I... I'm perving on your wings," he admitted, letting out another hot breath and locking gazes with Cas.   
Confusion filled Castiel's face for a moment then pulled his wings back in and folded them down, wishing he could do the same for his very erect cock. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He liked the way Sam tasted. He'd liked the way Sam had held him. He didn't really understand why Sam stopped but he didn't argue, didn't want to push and make Sam uncomfortable. "I never knew how...that they could feel like that." Castiel shifted uncomfortably. "Maybe we should both take cold showers. Then after we've," he looked down at his groin, "calmed down some...would you like to go flying with me? It's dark enough that it would be safe." 

"Flying? Seriously?" Sam tried to get control of his breathing even as he smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that. After a shower. A very, very cold one." His gaze drifted to Castiel's mouth, then down to his chest and abs, always hidden and so damned pale from never seeing the sun. "For the record, I like what I found under your trench coat," he said, putting his hand out and splaying his fingers wide over Cas' abs and running his hand upwards as he walked past him, not even giving Cas the opportunity to be first in the shower. 

Castiel couldn't stop the soft groan as Sam touched him. It was all he could do not to pull Sam close and just start kissing him again. He stood there panting out his breaths, watching Sam disappear into the bathroom. When he heard the water come on, he began to pace restlessly around the room. He could feel Sam in there. He felt it as Sam stepped into the cool shower. Suddenly a wave of sensations struck him and he fell onto his bed as it felt as if his cock was being stroked. The waves started out slowly, making Castiel writhe and moan softly. The pace began to pick up and Castiel was doing everything he could not to cry out as he felt himself growing closer and closer to coming. The bedsprings creaked as he undulated and writhed, rolling over and fucking into the bed. It was then that he heard it, Sam's muted cry of release. His own release matched that of Sam's sounds and he lay in the bed sweating and gasping.

*

Ten minutes later, Sam emerged from the bathroom far more relaxed. He hadn't brought himself off so hard in a long time. Seeing as Cas was waiting for him, he wouldn't have even gone there if he'd thought he had a prayer of the cold water trick working. So he'd done the second best thing, jerked off as quickly as he could to mental images of fucking Cas on the bed far more roughly than he'd ever consider, especially with it being Cas' first time. 

"That felt _really_ good," Sam smiled, secure in the belief his secret was safe. "Shower did it for me." He was retrieving a new pair of boxers when he turned and raised a brow. "Did you go flying or running? You're out of breath."

Castiel wondered if it would be out of line to punch your 'date' on the first night you got together with him. Slowly he pushed himself up, the front of his pants, soaked. Giving Sam a mild glare he said, "For the record, jacking off in the shower while I'm in a similar state of arousal out here...yeah, so _not_ far enough away from each other."

"What?! I wasn't..." Sam didn't mean to do it, but the magazine resting on Castiel's night stand lifted, then fell to the ground. The unexpected sound seemed to punctuate Sam's lie.

Castiel's gaze snapped to the magazine, then he slowly turned his focus back on Sam. "You were. Case in point," he said as he stood up and pointed to his soaked groin area. "When I get done with my shower, I think you and I should talk. Like about how you move things telekinetically. You know my secret." He spread his wings once then refolded them. "I think it's safe to say you can share yours with me without fear of me freaking or ratting you out." 

Sam's lips tightened. Offering to help Cas did not imply he would put his own secrets out there.

Cas walked toward the bathroom. "Would you be kind enough to strip my bed while I'm showering? After all it's your fault I need to change them."

That jolted Sam out of silence. "My fault?" he asked, genuinely incredulous. "Dude, you could have used some tissue or... you know, waited."

"Waited?" Castiel asked, sounding just as incredulous. His jaw tightened and he reached down the front of his pants and took his sensitive cock in his hand. Stroking it a few times, he carefully watched for Sam's reaction. He was going to be pissed if it was a one-way connection.

Eyebrows climbing higher, Sam watched Castiel's hand move inside his pants. "Are you going to... in front of me?" He lifted his gaze, a slight laugh of disbelief escaping him. "I thought you were, that you're not used to, that... aw, I dunno." Backing up to the chair at his desk, he sat down, securing the towel more firmly around his waist. "I can watch," he agreed, his gaze slowly moving back and forth between the movements of Cas' hand and his face. He felt his pulse rate kick up and licked his lips.

Castiel huffed in frustration. "Fuck. Never mind. Apparently you don't feel it." He pulled his hand out, making a slight face and walked into the bathroom, slamming the door. 

As he turned the water on, he decided he was going to put his theory to the test. It couldn't just be one way. For one thing, if Sam realized it, Castiel would never get any peace. Chuckling, he knew he wouldn't give Sam any peace if the connection were one way and Sam couldn't get him back. Now just to work himself back up....


	4. Chapter 4

Done with his shower, and his little 'arousing' workout, Castiel dried himself off and wrapped a towel around his waist. Cracking the door open, he didn't see Sam, which meant Sam was on his own bed, hopefully in the same state Sam had put him in earlier. He came out of the bathroom with a smug smile and started to tell Sam he'd 'told him so,' when he saw Sam was dressed, lying in his bed, reading a book. There was no indication what-so-ever of any arousal. He looked irritatingly relaxed and comfortable.

"Shit," Castiel muttered and practically stomped over to his dresser. He saw that Sam had at least stripped the bed for him. Using his wings, he hid his bare ass from Sam as he pulled on undershorts, then pants. Stretching his wings up and out once, he then folded them down and bound them with his harness. After pulling on his shirt and shoes, he slipped into his coat. Looking at Sam he said, "Okay, where would you like to go on your first flight with Castiel airlines?"

"Up?" Sam rolled off the bed and stood up. He'd done a lot of strange things, but this was up there. It was also something Dean would likely kick his ass for, if big brother knew. Definitely something he was never gonna to tell Dean about.

They headed down the hall, and then sneaked into the stairwell that went up to the roof. Sam helped Cas get his trench coat and shirt off. Energy crackled between them and Sam could barely take his eyes off Cas even as he hid the clothes while Cas took off the leather bindings that looked like some sort of holster. "That's kinda... hot," he said, as the bindings fell to the ground.

Castiel felt the rush of heat. "Maybe I'll get some leather pants to go with it," he joked. "Okay, arms around my neck. He saw the dubious look Sam gave him. "I'm stronger than I look. Trust me."

After Sam did as he was told, Castiel wrapped one arm around his waist and pulled him up close to him. He'd taken his mother flying before, but Sam was probably a good foot taller than her and much heavier. Not that he had any doubts about his ability to carry Sam, he just wasn't sure how much extra effort it would be. He shut his eyes a moment, spreading his wings, stretching them wide, then with one strong down-sweep, they shot up into the air.

"... if you like being watched when you're jerking off, I'm cool with it. I mean, there's nothing wrong-- Whoa," Sam's breath left him as they took off like a slingshot and then both of them were shouting hoarsely as they fell downward. "Up, up!" he shouted, holding on tighter and closing his legs around Castiel's hips and waist, uselessly trying to climb up.

Castiel beat his wings rapidly to start their climb again, having been struck immobile by Sam's words. He felt the fear radiating from Sam and held him a little tighter as he climbed higher. "It had nothing to do with me wanting an audience. And, uh, no, not really one for an audience. And don't say embarrassing things as I'm trying to get us aloft. Your death grip is no longer necessary. Look down."

"Embarrassing things... you're the one who had your hand in your pants... WHOA," he shouted again, gripping Cas as they dropped again. "Okay, okay, I get it. Fine." Sam was more than sure that Castiel had been using his flight techniques to shut him up. Slowly, he eased his grip and looked down at the city lights surrounding the school campus. "It's beautiful," he said, speaking louder than usual because the wind was snatching some of his words. 

They flew in silence for a while. Sometimes Sam's grip tightened but, after a while, he learned to trust that Cas would neither drop him nor fall out of the sky. "How often do you do this?"

"Maybe once a week. It's kind of a stress reliever. When I'm aloft I don't think people can see me, but I haven't been willing to risk it. Just because Mom and Dad can't see me when I'm flying, that doesn't mean someone can't, you know?" Castiel flew west and soon could see the ocean. He hovered above an empty beach, the sound of the crashing of the waves soothing to him.  
"Yeah. Most people would think they imagined you, or they'd be embarrassed to say what they'd seen." Sam rested his head on Cas' shoulder as he looked down at the moonlit water, the foam spraying against the sand. "Chicks would eat this up, you know. Being in a guy's strong arms, carried up high, flying through the sky."

"Are you saying you're a chick?" Castiel asked with a smirk.

Raising his head up, Sam slugged him. "You're about as funny as Dean."

"Hey! You're the one with the head on my shoulder talking about eating it up. I was just drawing a logical inference. Speaking of Dean...is he really a high-strung writer? Or was the krenshar thing...real?" Castiel asked, slowly descending in altitude until their feet touched the ground. "This is a nice beach to walk along. Nobody ever bothers you." 

"Yeah." Sam let go and stood on his own. "He's high strung. Sometimes he's real laid back. And he knows how to write." Feeling the weight of Castiel's gaze on him, he looked up and gave a slight shrug. "Some things are off limit."  
"Yeah, well, my wings were off limits and I shared. So what about your telekinesis? Always had it? Or like me, did puberty bring it on? And don't deny it. The book, the magazine...and I think my wings when you were drunk."

Staring at Cas for a long moment, Sam tried to sort out the conflicting thoughts inside his head. Since he was a kid, it had been drilled into him not to trust anyone. To hide himself. Hide what they did. To show a different face to the world. And then when he'd started to get his freaky powers, he'd asked questions. Over and over. The looks that passed between his dad and Dean, he knew they'd been about him. It wasn't until his dad was gone that Dean cracked. Told him the truth. All of it. But he'd also made Sam promise not to tell anyone. If any hunters got wind of this, even the people they'd considered to be playing on the same side would turn against them. Sam knew, in his heart, he knew Dean was right. Didn't mean that keeping the secret, the shame, wasn't hard. Especially when Dean didn't really like to talk about it and would shut him down with a joke or a look.

Sam shifted his weight from one leg to the other. "Like you. Started when I was about fifteen. At first only when I was having nightmares, which... yeah, I get hit with them all the time." Except they'd stopped since he'd taken to putting Castiel's feather next to his bed. Weird. "If you tell anyone..." He cocked his head and searched Castiel's face, then continued. "This thing, this really bad... evil thing put its blood inside me when I was a kid. I don't remember it happening, I wasn't even one. It killed my mom." He looked down. "Probably she was trying to protect me." 

Turning, Sam bent down and picked up a rock. "So you want to know why I can move things, that's why." Jaw clenching, he threw the pebble as far as he could into the water. "You want to know what that makes me? I don't know." Spreading his arms out, he dropped them back down. "I don't know." 

"I won't tell anyone. Believe me," Cas jerked his thumb towards his wings, "you've got the upper hand." He was silent a moment. "That sucks about your mom. As for evil blood in you...doesn't mean you're evil. Maybe it changed you, gave you abilities, but it's your choice how to use them. Or not use them at all if they scare you." He took Sam's hand and tugged him back into a slow stroll. "At least both your parents where human. I don't think my dad was. I don't know what he was but, the wings kinda suggest he was something other than human. My wings, my empathy, my fast healing...and who knows what else I haven't discovered yet. For what it's worth, you don't feel evil to me. I sense some darkness in you but it's a drop in the ocean compared to all the good I sense you have. I'll...I'll help keep you out of the dark." He gave Sam's hand a squeeze and smiled at him, sincerity in every line of his face and reflected in his blue eyes.

Sam had Dean promising to keep him out of the dark, even if he had to kick his ass. And now Castiel. Sam's return smile was only slightly forced. "You haven't seen dark, but if it comes, I'll need all the help I can get." The wrinkles between his brows suddenly cleared. "You know, you could be Cupid. Cupido. Also known as..." a genuine and lusty smile tugged at his lips as he said, "Eros. That's Gr--"

"Greek, yes, I know." Cas chuckled. "You were telling me all about it when you were drunk. You saw my wings then and were fascinated by them. And I'm not arrogant enough to think I'm some ancient god reborn into a geeky guy from Illinois." Grinning at Sam his smile suddenly disappeared and he released Sam's hand then started waving his hands towards Sam like he was casting a spell. "You will fall madly in love with me. I'm Cupid and you can't resist...."

Since Cas was shirtless, Sam grabbed the flap of his belt and tugged him close. "Second part's true, anyway," he said, slanting his mouth over Castiel's. The way he looked, with his wings pulled back as Sam dragged him close would forever be emblazoned in Sam's memory. Pulling his head back before things got too heated, he said, "you know I wasn't kidding about Cupid, right?"

He missed Sam's lips touching his as soon as Sam pulled back. "Oh, come on. The offspring of a Roman god? That would make my uncle Neptune or something wouldn't it? Hey Neptune!" He called out over the ocean. "How about washing a gold coin or two up on the beach for your poor nephew?" He smirked at Sam. "If a gold coin washes up, I'll...buy you a beer or three. But you gotta find out where I get the whole bow and arrow thing and teach me how to shoot. Assuming you know how to shoot."

Shutting Dean's voice up inside his head, Sam stepped well away as water from the next wave hitting the shore sprayed upwards and smacked Castiel's chest. Shoulder's shaking, Sam bent down and picked up a shell that had been there all along. "Your uncle is cheap," he snickered, holding it up between his fingers.  
Castiel snatched it from Sam and looked at it. "Yeah, though at least it looks like abalone or something." He slipped it in his pocket. "Don't want to make the uncle mad. Better keep it." He decided he was going to drill a small hole in it and wear it. "You listed off a whole bunch of things when you were drunk that I could be. So regale me with tales of winged things." 

"I did? Oh man... I thought I was better than that. Hope I didn't say anything to anyone else. Guess they'd have been as drunk." Looking down the strip of beach, he jerked his chin in that direction. "Let's walk." 

As they strolled, Sam told him about the winged creatures he knew about. It was hard editing his language, trying to make it less like he hated everything that was supernatural. In the end, he just clarified that most things he came up against were evil, but there were many that weren't or which, like himself, the jury was still out on. It shouldn't have surprised him, but Cas knew a lot about the legends behind some of the creatures they talked about and that he really kept up on the discussion of where Sam could go to research Castiel's background. They worked out a list of questions Cas would ask his mother and both agreed that their families would not know that they'd shared their secrets.

They talked about a lot of other things too. Just normal stuff. This was the best part of college, Sam could almost feel normal. And it was also the best of part of having shared his secret with Cas, they could talk about it and about Castiel's issues without totally feeling like freaks. 

They'd been sitting on the beach for a long time and Sam's voice was going hoarse from talking. Lifting his hand, he saw the time. "It's almost morning," he was exaggerating. "I got a paper to write," he said getting up, and putting his hand out to Castiel. 

"Been a good night," Castiel said, taking Sam's hand. He pulled Sam into his arms and began kissing him. As he tried slipping his tongue into Sam's mouth and exploring, tangling their tongues, he slowly lifted them into the air. It felt so good to have told someone about his wings, his past, someone who didn't think he was a freak. Even if he and Sam just ended up friends, he knew that they'd be close, forever.

Sam's body hummed with the electricity between them. His lips clung to Castiel's, moving with him. Vaguely aware that letting go of Cas would be a very bad idea, he tightened his hold, one arm around Cas' shoulder, the other around his waist. Only once he felt secure that he wouldn't be dropped, he started to caress Cas' bare skin, his palm exploring Castiel's back and feeling each shifting of muscle as Cas beat his wings in the air. So good, Cas tasted... felt so good. He wasn't cold, like Sam had first thought him to be. Once you peeled off that protective trench coat, he was hot, and had human emotions, and was anything but the unpleasant ass he'd acted like. 

Feeling like he was losing himself in the mind drugging kisses, Sam broke away and pulled his head back. "You sure it's safe to fly and make-out? I'm not so sure about your driving..." He had, after all, fallen like a heavy stone when they'd first taken off the dormitory roof.  
Castiel was disappointed when Sam pulled away. He liked feeling Sam's hands on him and the pleasure he felt coming from Sam. Sam was right though. Dammit. "Just don't say embarrassing things that startle me. Kissing is okay. More than that...probably should practice on the ground first, especially since...uh, your emotions get kind of strong and overwhelming. That might be bad," Castiel reluctantly agreed. "Okay, you admire the view, and I'll concentrate on flying and navigating." 

"Stop channeling me, then. Or... stop telling me about it," Sam huffed, not real comfortable with the idea someone had direct knowledge of how he was feeling. "I'll just be sitting here admiring the view." Which he did. Only his eyes kept straying to Castiel's wings. They were magnificent and sorta mesmerizing. He slid his hand up Castiel's back, to where he could rest his fingers in the downy feathers between his shoulder blades. At first, the warmth that washed over Sam was soothing. He didn't know when things changed, but they did. His mind was suddenly a riot of images. 

_The small bathroom felt crowded. As he took care of Castiel's cuts, the guy's wings kept trying to break free of the binding, fluttering and sending small currents through the air. Sam could hardly breath, could hardly concentrate. He cleaned the blood off Castiel's mouth, wanting to kiss it better, wanting things his innocent roommate had no knowledge of. And then Cas stood up, his wings were free, spreading out and taking up the entire room. Lunging forward, Sam's mouth crashed into Castiel's. He turned them around and lifted Cas onto the small sink, stepped between his legs and kissing him breathless. He sought out the soft wings, jolts of heat going through him with each stroke of his hand over them._

Oh God, these thoughts had all the trappings of a bad porno and he didn't even do pornos. Well not as much as Dean anyway. 

_They were rolling on a huge bed. Limbs tangled. Mouths pressed together and parted as each one of them tried to trap the other. Looming over Castiel, Sam laughed and kissed his way along his neck, making his way toward those wings, loving how Cas moaned under him. Then he found himself on his back. This time Castiel was teasing him, kissing him, giving him tantalizing views of his wings but refusing to let him touch._

Sam's breaths grew labored. He squirmed a little, trying to open up a little space between himself and his ride before he embarrassed himself. 

_They were playing a little rough. One upping each other. Cas teased him mercilessly. Had him fighting to earn a kiss. Pushed back onto the sand, Sam moaning as Cas licked and teased him from his abs up to his neck but again evaded his mouth. Heat welled up in Sam. He stared at Cas and then suddenly, Cas was rocked back onto his knees, his arms pulled out to his sides, and then his wings spread out._

Castiel would have purred if he could have, loving the feel of Sam's fingers running between his wings. It was soothing and strangely erotic at the same time. He felt the shift in Sam's emotions from relaxed to stimulated and getting more stimulated by the moment. "Sam?" Castiel asked but Sam seemed entranced and lost in himself. He could feel Sam's erection as it went from non-existent to hard at steel in a few beats of his wings. He gave a soft groan as his own body responded to Sam's libido. Castiel immediately looked for a place to set them down and spotted a park. That would do.  
Sam was so fucking hard and heavy, it hurt. "End of ride. Now," he hissed. "Dammit... I'm perving on you. On your wings. I dunno."

"Yeah," Castiel said a little breathlessly. "I noticed." He had already started the descent and finished the glide down, pulling up at the last moment to set them both down gingerly on the ground. He immediately folded his wings down and pulled them up close to his body in case anyone wandered by, and moved so his back was hidden by a tree.

Sam ripped himself out of Castiel's arms and took a few deep breaths. "Sorry I... your wings are dangerous," he accused. What other excuse did he have for getting so damned horny so quickly?

"If only I'd known, I could have gotten laid every weekend in high school," Castiel said, "Course, I figured I would end up dying a virgin." Feeling awkward and wanting nothing more than to rip Sam's clothes off, he cleared his throat. "So, uh, want me to blindfold you and finish flying us back to school?" he asked, unsure what else to offer.

"Can you blindfold my imagination?" Sam looked around to get himself oriented. "Why don't you take off. You'll need your coat to get back in the dorms. I'll meet you there. The jog could help," he said, looking a little sheepish.  
"I hate to leave you out here at this time of night..." Castiel said, but finally nodded. "Okay, but if you're not back in like thirty minutes, I'll come hunting for you. And look up when I fly off. I want to know if you can see me." After he chewed on his bottom a lip a moment he asked, "You know where you are, right? School's that way." He pointed off to his right. 

"You know I'm not afraid of the dark and I can take care of myself, right?" Sam echoed, giving him a little nudge. "Go. I'll be fine. Blue balls never killed anyone," he added under his breath, wincing slightly as he shifted his weight and his sensitive dick pressed against his jeans.

"All right. Just don't get bit by a vampire or werewolf or something, okay?" Castiel desperately wanted to pull Sam into his arms and kiss him one more time, but from the feelings roiling off of Sam, he doubted it would stop with a kiss. He gave Sam a final look, spread his wings, and shot up into the sky.  
Cas' parents were right, the speed with which he shot up into the air was too fast for the eye to follow. At least at night, Sam was unable to find him in in the dark. He went to lean against a tree for a few minutes, pulling himself together and needing to sort things out in his head. Figure out if his feelings for Castiel were natural, or whether those feathers were causing them. Or were they just enhancing them? And did it work on everyone else? No one had mentioned feeling strange sensations as Cas walked by. Was that something just between them? And if so, why? He was tempted to call Dean and ask for help, but just playing the potential conversation with his brother out in his head had him reaffirming his promise to himself that Dean would never find out!

* * *

It had been a little over a week since their flight and Castiel was wondering if something was wrong with him. Granted, he'd never dated, but after a week, with both of them being of consensual age, shouldn't they have moved past kissing, pushing their beds together and sleeping in each other's arms? Maybe not. Maybe it was too fast. It was kind of fast after all, he supposed. They hadn't gone out on any official dates, just kept getting together for lunches and some evenings getting together with others. They also kept their hands to themselves when they went out in public like that. They didn't want the housing department to get any complaints and split them up. They often talked long into the evening hours, and tonight, like many other nights, Sam was on his laptop, researching what sort of creature Castiel might be, announcing things as he found them and discussing the possibilities. 

Sam had also insisted on experimenting with Castiel's feathers. He swore Castiel's feather was having some sort of effect on him, so since Castiel was taking psych classes, they used it as an excuse to test others, see if they 'felt' anything about Castiel, if a feather from him helped them sleep better, and so on. The feather did seem to make people feel a bit good, especially some of the real religious kids, and they claimed they did seem to feel more rested, but no one expressed any feelings toward Castiel like Sam did. A few of them did get possessive of the feathers that had been loaned to them and ponied them up reluctantly.

Sam was deeply focused on the laptop and whatever website he'd found and Castiel was feeling bored and wanting some attention. He quietly spread his wings and curled them forward to just brush over Sam's back. 

It was the barest touch, but it sent a thrill though Sam and broke his concentration. He looked up, but not back. "Cut it out Cas, you're making it hard to think. First you're pacing and now this." Of course Sam had known the instant Cas shed his sweatshirt and since that moment, he'd been too aware of the guy, moving back and forth across the room. "I think I'm onto something," he said, shoving away at the inconvenient thoughts trying to crowd his mind.

"If you're on anything, I'd rather it be me," Castiel said. He pulled his wings back but moved forward and kissed the back of Sam's neck, then began sucking on the tender flesh there. "Is that really more interesting than me? Or the things you could be doing to me?"

Shivers went down Sam's back, a smile forming on his lips. "You suck." A moment later, he turned his head and swept his mouth across Castiel's cheek. "It's not more interesting, it's just, I really think I'm getting somewhere. If you're bored, why don't you read or, help me with this?" The heat that flowed through him when Cas' eyes locked with his had Sam holding his breath. "A little personal space? So I can think?"

Castiel gave a sigh. "Fine. You want me to help or go get coffee and snacks?" He stepped back but couldn't resist sweeping his wings forward and lightly brushing them against Sam's body.

"Cassss..." Sam groaned and finally turned around. Big mistake. Now he was faced with Castiel, shirtless and in jeans, looking much too tempting. "Yeah, go... get something, anything," he said, thinking maybe he'd take that time alone to jerk off in the bathroom. That always gave him better control around Cas. 

Castiel stepped forward and planted an intense kiss on Sam's lips. Just when he heard Sam moaning, he broke it off. "Okay. I'll go get us some coffee and desserts. Help keep you awake tonight. Are there any other _supplies_ I should think about getting?" he asked meaningfully. "You know for tonight when we go to _bed?_ "  
"Hmm?" Sam unconsciously wiped a hand over his burning lips, then stared at Cas. "What? Supplies?" His gaze drifted to the bed and then back to Castiel's face. "You mean..." Coughing, Sam shook his head 'no.' "I think we're good. I mean if we... but... Wait. Cas are you trying to tell me something?"

Castiel stared at Sam and shook his head. "No, I guess not. Okay. Be back shortly," he said, turning away and picking up the harness. If Sam didn't want to move forward...well, he'd just have to trust Sam knew what was best. 

"You want to make out?" Sam said, knowing this wasn't over just because Cas was being flip about it. "I'll write my research trail down and when you get back, we'll..." he nodded, his gaze roving over Cas' muscular back.   
"We'll enjoy our coffee while it's still hot," Cas said, turning and arching an eyebrow at Sam, "and you can tell me about the break-through on the research. Then we'll...make out. I've never...so you'll have to tell me sometimes maybe what to do, what you'd like." After fastening his harness, grimacing a little in the process since he was getting used to letting his wings be free more often, he pulled on a shirt, then his coat. He locked his gaze on Sam, never letting it waver as he walked for the door. "Back in fifteen to twenty."

Sam frowned. "We've made out plenty of times."

"We've kissed and--what did you call it? Spooned. If you think we're ready, how about moving to the next slot in the silverware draw?" He gave Sam a smirk.  
"The what, now?" Leaning back, he searched Cas' face. Yeah, he had a clue but he mostly didn't believe what he was hearing. Cas might be real direct about some stuff but this? And the way he put it? 

Castiel rested his hand on the doorknob. "You're a smart college guy. You'll figure it out. Begins with an 'f.'" With a hot look that slowly raked down Sam's body, he twisted the knob, opened the door, and then stepped out.

Sam's mouth dropped open. His entire body tensed, every muscle tightening in reaction. It was impossible to muster up a response and he found himself staring at the door, trying to make his mind work. 

While Cas was gone, Sam tried to take a few notes of the ideas he'd had and to make sure he didn't lose the research trail he was on, but his thoughts kept wandering. To him, it didn't feel like they'd been going too slow. Okay, probably half the time they were in close quarters or in bed, Sam's mind went far beyond what they'd engaged in, but he kept that in check by trying to regularly jerk off when Cas wasn't around. They'd kissed. A lot. They were sleeping in the same bed. Touching a lot. It was true that with someone more experienced, there would have been much more going on in the bed... the beds they'd shoved together, but under the circumstances, it made sense to go slow. Beside, they'd been connecting on other levels than sex. 

* * * 

The remains of the piece of chocolate cake that they'd split was on the desk, and the small lattes were three quarters gone and cooling fast. Running his hand up and down Sam's thigh, Cas gave him a flirty look. "Want to play with my feathers?"  
Sam was convinced that Castiel couldn't have found smaller sized drinks or a tinier snack to share. And the looks he'd been giving him had Sam's heart racing despite the fact that he tried to act normal. Course he was also trying to ignore that Cas could usually sense his emotions. 

"Feathers." Chuckling, Sam looked down for a moment. "Starts with an 'f.' Yeah, I'll ruffle your feathers." Using his long legs to roll his chair away from his desk, and then behind Castiel's, he reached around the back of Cas' chair and caressed Castiel's chest and abs. Sweeping his mouth up and down the side of Cas' neck, he whispered. "What's gotten you so horny? It better not be that damned X-men comic on the bed." The air between them started to crackle with electricity. Sam closed his eyes and went with it, allowing the fingers of one hand to dip under Cas' tee shirt and threatening to move below the waistband of his pants. 

"Maybe I'm afraid this is all a dream and I'm going to wake up soon. Maybe I want to make sure I get laid before waking up." Castiel tilted his head, giving Sam better access to his neck. "Feathers don't belong in silverware drawers. Wrong 'f' word, college boy," he teased. "And there's nothing wrong with X-Men comics." He gave a soft groan as he felt Sam's hand touch the bare skin of his stomach. "I still have my harness on under the t-shirt you know. I know you like it. Thought you might like to take it off of me."

"Sounds like fun." Sam's breath came out in a harsh gasp. "There's another 'f' word for you." He took his time, exploring every inch of skin under the tee shirt, the pads of his fingers playing with the leather straps of the harness and skimming over Cas' nipples one at a time. With his other hand, he played with the buttons of Cas' jeans, sometimes moving to the lower buttons and sometimes back up. As Castiel's cock grew hard under his palm, Sam's own cock thickened. He loved how Cas writhed in his arms, how he kept moving his face to claim a kiss once in a while, as if he couldn't decide whether he wanted Sam to pay attention to his sensitive throat or he wanted more kissing. 

Castiel felt like an instrument Sam was playing. The lower hand stroking the strings, the upper hand tweaking, pressing, and adjusting in different chords. Sam was a master, no doubt, the way he teased Castiel. He felt not only his own pleasure, but Sam's as well. Cas could tell the difference between the two, knowing immediately whether a reaction was his own, or whether it was his reaction to Sam's caresses that nudged Sam a little further along. 

"I think I like 'f' words. A lot," Castiel gasped. His wings were getting restless the more Sam wound him up. He spread his legs wider as he leaned back against Sam and the back of the chair. As badly as he wanted his wings out of their harness, he wanted his hard cock free of his jeans, too. Stealing another kiss, this time putting his hand over his head and holding Sam's head there, he drew out the kiss, tangling their tongues together. The excitement was beginning to build in him, the excitement over finally losing his virginity, something he had always been certain he would never have an opportunity to part with and he was glad it was to Sam that it would disappear. He felt closer to Sam than he'd felt to anyone before but he sometimes wondered if his falling for Sam was just because Sam was the first one he'd ever told his secret to, outside of his parents.  
"Let one of them free," Castiel groaned. "Either my wings or my cock."

"'F'... for 'free.' Check," Sam breathed, leaning in and capturing Castiel's mouth for another long kiss. Once they were out of breath, he gripped the bottom of Castiel's tee shirt, peeling it upwards the moment Cas moved forward and helped get it the hell off. Instantly, Sam's hands roved over Castiel's chest again, teasing, claiming, sliding over skin stretched taut over lean muscle. A warning sound from Cas got Sam to sit up and roll his chair around, this time so he was sitting directly in front of Cas, his knee between Cas' thighs. He stared at him hotly, his gaze roving over every inch of bare skin, across the expanse of his chest and down to his narrower waist. "So freakin' hot... another 'f' word," Sam said, leering as he gripped Cas' thighs and pulled him closer on the rolling chair. Eyes locked with Cas', he started to unbuckle the harness, a little sloppy in his efforts because he wasn't watching his fingers. 

"You just like perving on my wings," Castiel said, his hands going to Sam's waist and sliding under his shirt to roam gently over Sam's skin. As each strap came undone, it was an effort to keep his wings folded, an effort not to just let them explode open, ripping apart the harness in the process. Pulling one hand out from under Sam's shirt, he reached out and ran his fingers through Sam's hair. The energy flared between them and Castiel wouldn't be surprised if one or both of them suddenly burst into flames.  
"I like it when you stroke my wings. It sends shivers through me like nothing else," he whispered to Sam. "Are we going to go...you know, all the way tonight?" The excitement made his blood boil while he also felt a little nervous.

The question stayed Sam's hands for a moment. "We're gonna have a fan-freakin-tastic time," he said, leaning in to work the harness off. His fingers moved through Castiel's feathers, then he pulled back to watch Cas open his wings up. "The way you look, like a damned fantasy, no one would blame me if we did... go all the way." Before a protest, at least an audible one, formed on Castiel's mouth, Sam kissed him, reaching up and stroking his wings, moaning as jolts of electric heat pulsed through him. He started to kiss his way down Cas' throat, then his chest, one hand on his stomach, fingers splayed wide, searching and gripping. Licking and sucking Cas' nipple, Sam groaned at the way the guy lifted his hips up, rubbing his erection against Sam's stomach.

Between Castiel's own passion heightening with every touch of Sam's hands, and then getting Sam's emotional feedback, it practically made his head spin. But he'd heard what Sam said. They weren't going to go all the way tonight. They were just going to make-out. He couldn't help lifting his hips, his cock desperate for pressure even as his wings flexed and reacted to Sam's touch. "Do you...not want to because...we don't know each other well enough, or because we don't know what I am yet?"  
"I know what you are," Sam whispered against Castiel's skin. "You're just a guy with wings. You're nerdy, a plus in my book, you can be a grade 'A' asshole, but I know you have to be... to protect yourself and your secret." He looked up, his hands still roving over Cas. "You're a bit obsessive/compulsive, which sometimes is annoying, but at other times ... it's great to find my things folded and in place," he admitted with a sheepish grin. "You act all gruff and try to set down rules but... hell, the best kept secret around here is that you're a softy on the inside. You're a good guy, Cas. Did I mention hot?" His upper teeth grazed across his lower lip as he watched Cas and felt the slight breeze from his wings. 

Sam's gut tightened. "Just relax now, okay? I want you, or I wouldn't be here." Gripping the arms of the chair Castiel was sitting in, Sam got up and kicked away his own chair. It rolled across the room and smashed into the beds behind him. Kissing his way down from the curve of Cas' throat, Sam scraped his teeth along the center cut of Cas' lean chest and abs, to the edge of his jeans. He raked his fingers down parallel paths over rippling muscles until he gripped the waist band of Cas' jeans and closing his teeth around the rough material, tugged hard, popping the top button open. 

_Just a guy with wings_ How could Sam make it sound so...normal? Make it sound like he wasn't a freaky half-human, half-something else? He listened to Sam's run down of his character and wanted to protest, but, what could he say? Sam was right for the most part. He didn't think he was an asshole though. Well, maybe a little...sometimes...

When Sam said he wanted him, Castiel's heart swelled. He'd never really given it much thought about being attracted to guys or girls since he couldn't ever be with either. He probably leaned towards girls a little more than guys, but like he'd told Sam that first day, it didn't really matter all that much to him. He found both attractive. Sam, though, he was everything anyone could ever want. Thoughtful. Gentle. Generous. Kind. Didn't put up with a lot of shit from anyone. Smart. Attractive. Of course he had his flaws, but everyone had flaws.

He let out a moan as Sam worked his way down his body then when the button popped open, his breath hitched as he gasped. It was so damned sexy what Sam was doing to him. It was so damned perfect. "He tells me to relax then opens my jeans with his teeth..." Castiel said, smirking down at Sam there between his legs. 

"Guess you have a point." Mirroring Cas' smirk, Sam popped open each button on Cas' jeans, then started to work them down, tugging when Castiel lifted up a little. The sight of the thick outline of Castiel's cock straining against his shorts drew a sharp gasp from Sam. He ran his hand over it, then swept it back up, cupping Cas, squeezing him lightly. The guy was so fucking hard and ready, moisture seeped right through the thin material under Sam's palm. "So spooning is out, then," he teased, squeezing him again. The way Cas' head tilted back, the way his wings spread wide above his shoulders had Sam groaning. 

Cas groaned as Sam toyed with him and he felt his wings stretch open even more, straining almost as his cock had strained against his jeans. "Spooning...fine...after," he managed to get out as he wrapped his legs loosely around Sam. He let his head fall forward and watched Sam with heavy-lidded eyes. Curling one wing forward, he brushed it along the back of Sam's head, then down his still-clothed body. "Want to see your chest," he murmured, reaching out and tugging at the neck of Sam's t-shirt. "Take it off." 

Raising his arms, Sam let Cas peel his shirt off. Immediately, he leaned in and fondled Cas again, biting his lower lip when Castiel's wing tip stroked his back. "You don't play fair," he complained thickly, his entire body reacting to light feathered touch. A sense of urgency filled him. Curling his fingertips around the waistband of Cas' shorts, he pulled down with one hand and, locking gazes with Cas, he wrapped his other hand around his cock, running the pad of his thumb in circles around the crown and squeezing gently.

Inhaling sharply at Sam's touch, Castiel reached out and caressed Sam's chest and neck. It was so strange to feel someone else touch him so intimately. "You wouldn't like it if I played fair. You like me unpredictable." He let his wings periodically brush over Sam, loving the intense feelings he picked up from Sam every time he touched him with his wings. All the while he focused on the feel of Sam's large hand slowly stroking him or squeezing him, or toying with his slit. "Feels good, Sam. Feels really good," he breathed as more blood seemed to rush to his groin.

Twisting his wrist a little, Sam ran his thumb up the underside of Castiel's dick, wanting to give him as much pleasure as he could. He'd never been with anyone who was this strange mix of innocent and _not_ so innocent. He'd never imagined how potent a combination that was or how hard it could tug on his heart. How it would make him want to give Cas the things Cas dreamed of and thought he'd never experience. Dipping his head down, Sam licked along the satin smooth skin stretched taut over hard flesh, painting a wet stripe from Cas' balls to his tip. The deep groan and the jerk of Cas' hips, the intense heat coming from his eyes in response to the small gesture, made Sam's mouth burn. Burn to give him more, burn to show him how it could be... feel.   
The air crackled around them. Sam closed his fingers around Castiel's cock and positioned his mouth over it. By the time his mouth closed around Cas, he wasn't sure if he'd moved of his own volition, or if he'd been tugged closer. It didn't matter, he didn't care. He couldn't think beyond the throbbing cock in his mouth begging for more attention. He sucked on Cas' tip a few times then, pressing his tongue against his cock, he began learning its contours and stimulating the sensitive area right under the crown.

Sam would have played with Cas a little longer, teased him, but the repeated touches of Castiel's wings batting at him, skimming over his back, made it impossible. Sam found himself taking Cas, all of him, into his mouth. He swallowed carefully, allowing Cas' cock to bottom out deep inside his throat, then he started to work him, bobbing his head up and down. The harder he worked Cas, the harder and heavier his own dick got. The ache drove him harder, had him moaning and humming around Cas' length and grasping Cas' thigh with bruising force.

Of course Castiel had heard about blow jobs, and he'd thought he might be able to do that with a lady of the night perhaps who wouldn't need to touch his back to perform it, but here he was, half-naked, getting a blow job from his roommate...boyfriend. Everything Sam did to him was new and exciting and made his heart pound faster and harder in his chest. That strange electricity between them seemed to surround them and he swore he felt as if he was being physically tugged closer to Sam. Sam's telekinesis was surely behind it but he didn't mind the feeling at all. He wanted to be as close to Sam as he could be.  
Resting his hands on Sam's head, he moaned and tossed his head as Sam seemed to investigate every inch of his cock. Almost unconsciously, he brushed his wings over Sam, wishing Sam could somehow be two places at once, giving him a blow job and stroking his wings. As Sam began to pleasure him in earnest, Castiel couldn't hold back his cries of pleasure. His wings began to beat faster and he felt himself lifting free of the chair, his legs still wrapped around Sam as his hips began to thrust, his cock sliding in and out of Sam's mouth faster and faster. The vibration of Sam's humming was driving him mad. He felt the heat coil, felt his balls tighten. "Gonna--" Castiel said in a vain attempt to warn Sam.

 _Yes._ Sam's own gut clenched, his hand moving in front of Cas' abs, fingers splayed wide. A few inches of space separating his palm from Cas' flesh but a force, an energy was running from him to Cas, holding him back and sending a strange, thrumming sensation all the way from his hand, down his arm, to his very core. He swallowed fast, taking every last drop of Castiel's cum and then licking him clean before he released his cock, and dropped his hand, allowing Cas to slump down into the chair. Lifting his head, he met Cas' eyes and held his breath, a little leery of what Cas might think about his having used his powers. He hadn't really meant to, not this time.

Castiel had felt Sam's powers wrapping around him. It was a darker feeling than he expected, especially knowing that in his heart Sam was a good man. His own powers or nature reacted, seeming to want to twine with Sam's but Castiel held them back. Sam had said his powers came from some dark thing, and if Castiel's did too, maybe it would reinforce the dark. Or the dark would infect him. Still, it was strange and ...kind of thrilling. He felt like he was being all sorts of rebellious and walking with the wild things. He could tell Sam was a little worried he was going to push Sam away.   
"That was fantastic," Cas panted. Spreading his wings he leaned forward, kissing Sam, but suddenly pulling back at the strange taste. His eyes widened when he realized what that taste must be. Himself....

His tension instantly easing, Sam gave a lopsided smile. "Best 'F' word ever." He pushed up to his feet, leaned over Cas and whispered. "You taste sweet. I mean literally. Like honey." Reaching behind Cas, he grabbed a pen and wrote something down even as he kissed Cas, sliding his tongue into his mouth and tangling it with Castiel's.

It took Castiel a moment to come to terms with the fact he was tasting himself in Sam's mouth. It was a little odd and a little...well, he was certain Sam would want him to return the favor sometime soon. He didn't mind, it was just all so... _new_ to him. And it might take a couple times before he could actually convince himself to swallow. Sam would probably understand. He hoped.   
Cas wrapped his arms, then his wings around Sam as he kissed Sam back. It really was sweet-tasting. He finally broke their kiss and asked, "So how would you like to take care of your," he lifted up, pressing his body against Sam's straining cock, "desire?"

"How about we take care of it in bed?" The pen dropped to the floor, but Sam didn't bother with it. He grabbed Castiel's hand and took a step back, pulling Cas up out of the chair and giving him a moment to step out of his clothes. Releasing his hand, Sam kept walking back to the bed, then sat down, his gaze sweeping up and down Cas' body. Swallowing hard, he was jarred by the sound of his phone. Rolling to his side, he grabbed the phone, checked it, and sent the call to voice mail.  
Moving back, sitting on the edge of the bed, he started to undo his jeans. A rush of energy flowed between them. "Sorry. Didn't mean to ruffle your feathers," he said, looking a little sheepish.

Castiel's eyes were half-closed as he savored the feelings he was picking up from Sam when he felt his wings flutter a little as if buffeted by a wind. He smiled a little shyly. "That's okay. I like you ruffling my feathers." Getting down on his knees and grabbing Sam's hands, he pushed them away from his jeans. "Let me see if I've got this part right," he said, leaning in and licking up Sam's abs, then going back down and doing as Sam had done, gripping the waistband with his hands and using his teeth to pop the button of Sam's jeans. He stared at the zipper next and tried to use his abilities to unzip Sam's pants, but he didn't have the control over them Sam seemed to. Since he couldn't open it with his mind, he slowly unzipped Sam's pants with his hand, inhaling a sharp breath when he felt his hand brush over Sam's cock in the process.

The fumbling kept Sam on the edge, waiting to be freed. The light press against his cock had him groaning and lifting his hip slightly. Dropping back onto his elbows, he watched from under heavy eyelids, practically holding his breath as he waited for Cas to touch him again. "Take me out. Please," he whispered hoarsely. 

Castiel hesitated then pulled down Sam's undershorts, releasing his hard cock. He inhaled sharply and bit his lip, then looked up at Sam's need-filled face. "What...what would you like me to do? I've never...uh, done this before. Should I do what you did?" he asked, gently wrapping his hand around Sam's cock. Moaning softly as he felt the pleasure Sam felt, as he felt the heat and excitement and need shoot through him.

"Ngh..." Heat tied Sam up in knots as he writhed, trying to get a little more pressure from Castiel's loose grip. "Just what you're doing, yeah," he licked his lower lip, still tasting Cas there. "Come on the bed," he said, nodding when Cas placed one knee, then the other on the bed, the mattress dipping slightly under his weight. With Cas straddling his thighs, and jacking him slowly, while giving him an excellent view of himself and his wings spread wide, Sam thought he must have died and gone to heaven. "Just like that," he rasped, needing more pressure, but wanting this to last.  
Watching Sam closely, and paying rapt attention to the feelings coming from him, Castiel could easily tell when he got something right or even practically perfect. He'd never touched another guy's cock before and it was a little strange for him. He used his free hand and wiped off some of the cum trickling from Sam's tip, looking at the pearly bead on his fingertip. Lifting his finger to his mouth, he licked it off. It tasted different from how he'd tasted in Sam's mouth. It was salty and maybe even sharp in flavor. He didn't dislike it, but it was still going to take some getting used to. He saw Sam watching him and licked his lips. Wiping off another bead of cum, this time he sucked his finger into his mouth to clean off the bead. 

Sam's attention was riveted by the sight of Cas' tongue flicking across his finger, the slight pause, and then then his finger disappearing into his mouth. "For someone who's never done this... you're either a natural, or you watched a lot of porn." Seeing the flush creep up Cas' face, Sam couldn't help laughing. Balancing on one elbow, he reached up. "Kiss me," he said, wrapping his arm around Cas' waist and pulling him down. Their mouths locked together in a long, 'too dirty for an innocent' kiss, but Sam needed an outlet. He felt the drag of Cas' hardening cock against his hip and closed his hand around it, stroking its length a few times, loving how quickly Cas was ready to go again.  
With Sam's touch, Castiel moaned into his mouth. He'd lost his concentration and let go of Sam's cock. Hastily he reached between them again and began slowly stroking Sam. His wings fluttered, arched back, then spread out, reacting to the feelings Sam was bringing out in him and the feelings he felt coming from Sam. He wanted to give Sam more but he had no idea how. He could try a blow job, but their mouths were both kind of busy right now and he didn't want to stop kissing Sam. 

Castiel's light touches ratcheted up Sam's need, making him thrust more urgently into Castiel's fist. So good, it felt so damned good. But he needed, wanted more. Wrapping both arms around Cas, Sam dropped down onto the mattress. Castiel landed on him so hard that their forced exhales had them breaking the kiss. Sam was stunned for a few split seconds, but the heat building inside galvanized him to action. The instant Castiel's hand slipped off him and down to the bed, Sam lifted his hips and started to grind his cock against Castiel's, a deep groan breaking from the back of his throat. He ran his fingers through Cas' feathers, not at all disappointed by the way Castiel bucked against him, hard, in response. The invisible push-pull was there, between them, practically making them cling to each other. Something skittered through his mind, an idea, but he couldn't concentrate on it. Not now. Kissing along Castiel's neck, he found his mouth again, and pushed his tongue inside, demanding a response.

Castiel felt like he was lost in a maelstrom of emotions, heat and electricity. His mind was overflowing with feelings he'd never experienced and barely understood. Forces seemed to swirl around them, pulling them together, holding them together, as if they were two halves of a whole. As Sam thrust against him, as he caressed Castiel's wings, Castiel responded in earnest. He felt a wind in the room and heard papers scattering and books falling off their desks as Sam kissed him. Being with Sam, experiencing the feelings that ran through both of them, it made him feel like he was flying. It was sheer heaven and he never wanted it to stop.

Hooking one leg around Castiel's, Sam moved one hand over Cas' ass, groaning at the sensation from the muscles flexing under his palm. He pressed down, raising himself at the same time, the increased friction filling him with agonizing need. "I'm cl... close," he said thickly, groaning as his rock hard cock rubbed against Castiel's and pressed into his stomach. "You drive me crazy. You and..." Castiel's wings blew forward again, sending a ripple of energy crackling over Sam's sensitive skin. "God... ngh... harder," he pleaded, suddenly grasping Castiel's hips and pulling on him.

"Y-yes," Castiel answered, pressing and thrusting against Sam. Wrapping his arms and then his wings around Sam, he felt like he was holding dark fire against himself. That darkness, that rebellion, it coursed through him, counter to him and yet entwined with him much like their bodies were entwined. He felt Sam's muscles tighten, felt the rising thrill inside Sam, and that was all it took. He cried out as his own body tensed, then spunk poured from him as a strange golden light briefly lit the room.

For a split second, something scorched every inch of Sam's body but the sting was immediately soothed by the light bathing him. Like a tide, it pulled him, tugged him in a way he'd never felt, and then he was spiraling out of control, joining Castiel in his release. Moving against Cas, running his hands over his body, muttering words that were only half-intelligible, Sam sought Cas' mouth again. 

Minutes later, his heart was still out of control, banging against his chest as he rolled over onto his side, taking Cas with him. "Fucking fantastic," Sam whispered, "that's two f word..."  
There was a loud hammering on the door. Sam blinked. Deciding to ignore their idiot friends, he started to lower his mouth over Castiel's when the lock turned and the door started to open. "What the fuck?!" He started to get up, at the same time pulling a sheet over them.

"Campus security. Sam Winchester?"

"What... yeah, I mean hold on," Sam yelled seeing the door creep open and he found himself staring into a uniformed man's eyes.

The guy pulled the door closed, calling out right before it clicked shut, "Call your mother. She's worried about you."


	5. Chapter 5

Pulling his wings in and folding them close to his body, Castiel practically dove under the cover Sam pulled up. When he heard the door click shut, he peeked out from under the sheet and looked at Sam. "I thought you said your mom died when you were young." 

"She did. It's Dean!" he said, like it explained everything. Well it did, what with the repeated calls Sam had refused to take, though if it had been real serious, Dean would have followed up with a 911 text, which he had not. The blanket had dropped to the ground, so he got off the bed to pick it up, staring with disbelief and irritation at the now closed door.

"Your brother? Again? Seriously?" Castiel asked, flipping back the cover and letting his wings spread open. "Even siccing campus security on you? Tell him you have a girlfriend or boyfriend so he'll stop checking on you five times a day. And that brings up something. Does he know you're gay? I don't want to say something to him or in the background that he might overhear if he doesn't." Castiel saw the phone and stretched his hand out. The phone flew from the other bed straight into his hand. His eyes opened a little wider. "Huh. I actually did it." He got out of bed and handed Sam his phone. "Call him. Now."

Once Sam took the phone, Castiel moved behind him and turned them both so Sam was looking in the mirror. Spreading his wings wide, he began checking Sam out, touching him. He ran his hands over Sam's muscular back and squeezed his firm ass, letting his wings sway forward and brush lightly over Sam's arms. 

Sam made a face, both at being told to call his brother and at the fact that Cas apparently had TK as well. But he knew Cas was right, if he didn't get this over with, Dean might send the National Guard. It didn't spare Cas from getting glared at in the mirror while he punched in Dean's number. "Dean, what the fuck man..."

"Don't give me a 'what the fuck.' You answer your fucking phone when I call. That was the agreement," Dean said. "And why are you out of breath? What's going on Sam?" 

"You calling me every five minutes, that wasn't the agreement," Sam shot back, running his hand through his hair in frustration, and catching a glimpse of Castiel's wings in the mirror. The way the guy was standing behind him, it looked like the wings were attached to Sam. Distracted, he started to drop the phone, then heard Dean's voice. "What?"

"I said, I'm not calling you every five minutes...Sammy, you got someone there with you?" Dean asked a smirk coming into his voice. "What's her name and cup size?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. Cup size? About a handful, alright, are we done?" He made an exasperated sound, his finger hovering over the 'end' button.

"That's my boy! About damned time, Sammy! Tomorrow, I want the details. And you need to tell me when your last test is so I know when to pick you up."

Castiel reached around Sam's hip and began stroking Sam's flaccid cock, while at the same time he sucked lightly on a spot near Sam's shoulder blade.

"Mmm," Sam moved his hand over Castiel's hand, stopping him, but not letting him move it away. His entire body was vibrating, not something he needed when Dean was on the phone. "Dude, winter break isn't until December. I'll let you know. M'kay, I gotta go..." he turned his head toward Cas.

"Website says you've got a week off at Thanksgiving. A Thanksgiving break. That's nine or more days with the weekends. I'll be there the Friday before to pick you up then," Dean said, not giving an inch.

Castiel could hear Dean's voice on the phone and whispered in Sam's ear. "Can't you have Thanksgiving at my place? Your brother could come too if he's that insistent."

"Dean..." Releasing Cas' hand, Sam looked down at the ground. His jaw pulsed from gritting his teeth as he tried to find the words he needed. "You can get me on Thursday, I have a half day. Thursday to Wednesday morning, six days. I have... I've got plans for Thanksgiving and the long weekend," he said, bracing. "You can come with, if you want."

Dean was silent for a handful of seconds. "...All right, new girlfriend, I get it. But Christmas break, the plans better be with me, make that clear to her now. I'll try to get you back to her before New Year's Eve. Our agreement was you can go to college if you help me on the breaks but...I'm willing to negotiate _to a point._ And I guess...I guess if you're still with her come Spring Break, she gets you for that unless a job comes up that I have to have help on. So that's still on the table and negotiable. Deal? And I better be finding salt at your doorway and windows when I come visit," Dean said firmly. He probably wouldn't have budged on the deal if it wasn't the first time the kid seemed to have a love interest and he really didn't want to mess that up. He knew Sam was shy and as far as he knew, this could be his first long term relationship. Well, longer than their typical couple days or week or so.

"Wait! You're saying yes?" Glancing at Cas, Sam moved away and sat on the bed, stunned. 

"I'm not Dad, Sam," Dean said quietly. "Yeah, I'm saying yes. Make sure she gets it if we run late, but barring a major screw up, we'll be back by Wednesday. She better be hot, even if just a handful, Dude."

Clearing his throat, Sam glanced at Castiel and bit the bullet. "Actually, there's no _she_. It's Castiel and he says you're invited too. So, you know, think about it. Could be fun, a real home cooked Thanksgiving meal, he says his mom's a good cook and all that. Okay so, I'll talk to you later, and you can let me know," he rushed through it, hoping he could get off the phone now.

"The roommate you've bitched about non-stop? He's your girlfriend?" Dean said, trying to wrap his brain around it. "No, there's no girlfriend. You and he are just buds now...right?"

"Yeah. No. It's complicated." He took a deep breath. "More than buds. You figure it out," he grimaced. 

Watching Sam trying to tell his brother, Castiel bit his lip then said loudly enough for Dean to hear. "Sam and I are dating." Castiel settled next to Sam and interlaced their fingers.

The silence stretched on the phone until finally Dean said, "Sammy...fuck...why didn't you ever...no, never mind, I know why... Fuck..."

A heavy sensation blossomed in Sam's stomach. "Dean..." He spoke so low, it was unlikely his brother heard his plea to stop.

"... Well, now I know it's not because of _me_ when we get mistaken for being a couple...It's-It's cool, Sam, just gimme a little time for it to, you know, sink in and all."

Sam lifted his head. A smile played on his lips. He didn't know exactly what he'd expected, but this ... this was probably it. That's why he'd been hurt when he misunderstood where Dean was going with this. "Sure. I'll ah... see ya in a week?" 

"Yeah. But don't be expecting any more skin mags from me for Christmas. I'm not buying a Hung and Heavy Boys for you," Dean said. "No way. And make yourself useful. The job we're hitting is in San Fran, might be a ghost. I'll send you everything I've got so far, so watch your email. And salt Sammy. Check the door and window sill. I'll see you in a week but talk to you tomorrow."

"Alright." Sighing, Sam ended the call. "Says he's not Dad in one breath, then he wants to talk every day in the other. Can't believe he called campus security."

"Least he cares?" Castiel offered. "So....guess I better tell Mom I'm bringing home my boyfriend and his brother," he said grinning. "She's gonna freak. Happy freak, but freak. And she is an awesome cook." Castiel spread his wings. "Now, remind me again where we were when we got interrupted?"

Dean hadn't really committed to going for Thanksgiving but Sam thought he might come. Now that he knew what Dean's reaction was, he would try to get him to go with them. Getting up, Sam closed his arms around Castiel. "I think we were right about here." He felt Cas' wings envelope his own body and fought to keep his senses. "One thing. Can't let Dean know about... this. Your wings. Not till we've figured it all out and I've... I've talked to him about it." He slid his hand up Cas' back, caressing him. "Don't jump to any conclusions. I'm not ashamed of you, it's not that. He's a hunter. We're both hunters. You have to be careful around people like us, even more than around everyone else." 

Castiel tilted his head and looked into Sam's eyes. "What's a hunter? And do you mean...I don't have anything to worry about from you, do I? I mean ...you are my boyfriend...aren't you?" He felt the feelings racing through Sam and knew Sam would never hurt him, but there was that _darkness_ in him. It wasn't stronger than his good side, he knew that, but could it become stronger? Like a werewolf turned predator briefly, then returned to human form and could be a good person.

"Don't be a doofus. I'd never hurt you, but Dean... he doesn't know you." He cocked his head at Castiel's other question. Were they more than fuck buddies? Well, not that they'd done a whole lot of fucking. "I guess I am. Boyfriend," he said, obviously trying the word out as he ran his hand up from Castiel's neck to his cheek, wishing he could erase the serious look on his face.  
"I've never had a boyfriend. I had a few girlfriends back in middle school, but you know, those don't really count as serious. Once these things," he glanced up at his wings, "came in, well, no one, of course. I'm not saying we have to be all googly-eyed, in love, head-over-heels, you're my one-and-only sort of boyfriends. I'm just wanting, well, monogamous, kissing, making out, doing things together, being more than friends. If it doesn't work, then you know, we just talk and be honest. No big drama. If it starts getting more than that then, well, we talk about it and make sure we're both cool with where it's going." He pressed his cheek against Sam's palm.

"We'll see where it goes," Sam agreed. "I didn't mean to scare you, with the hunter stuff. I could... you know, come over some other time. Dean and I can do something else over Thanksgiving," he offered, not wanting Cas to be nervous.

Shaking his head Castiel looked up at him from under his lashes. "No, I want you to come. Dean too if he wants. I usually keep my wings bound at home too, except in my room, so that's fine. I don't like to remind my parents about the freakiness if I can help it. Just kinda be prepared for the third degree. If you're my boyfriend, then it's kind of a given you know about my wings and they'll want to make sure you aren't somebody trying to take advantage of me, like if you were a journalism student or something, they'd probably worry. Let's not tell them you're a hunter, whatever that is." Castiel ran the back of his fingers along Sam's cheek as he pulled Sam a little close with his wings. "Your brother, he'd...kill...me? If he knew about the wings?"

"Maybe. Especially if he thought you're taking advantage or doing something to me. He's protective," Sam gave a one-shouldered shrug, then leaned in and kissed Castiel. He wanted to forget the complications, he just wanted to enjoy the moment. And he did, in Cas' arms, he forgot freaks, hunters, everything. 

When they ran out of air, Sam suddenly remembered what he'd wanted to tell Cas before they'd gone down the 'letter f road.' Pulling away, he scooped Cas' pants up off the floor and tossed them at him. "Put these on, so I can think," he said, grabbing his own clothes and starting to pull them on. "About those wings, I found some stuff about certain supernatural beings, like angels, who can supposedly fold their wings into some other dimension or something. And no, I'm not calling _you_ an angel," he snorted. "I know better. Just thinking, maybe there's something to what I found, something that works for you. It's all in Latin, but what the hell, you got nothing better to do, do ya?" 

Castiel frowned a little. "You just want to...stop?" He gave a sigh and pulled on his pants. "They make it look a lot easier in the movies to get your boyfriend to have sex with you. Yeah. I guess I don't have anything _else_ to do." He sat down at his desk, folded his wings after a final stretch, and put his chin on his hand. "So website, printouts, what?"

"Thought you didn't like to cuddle?" Sam teased, pulling his chair and laptop close to Castiel's. "Here, I'll email a couple of links to you and keep researching. You read and try some of the things they say in this one," he suggested. A few keystrokes later, he'd shared the links.

"Cuddling just doesn't sound manly," Castiel complained. "Even if I do like it," he added with a slight flush coloring his cheeks. 

Once Castiel got the information, he started translating. Quite some time later, he sat back and shook his head. "Sam, this is like a spiritual explanation for quantum mechanics and multi-verses. It's like taking a coin and the universe splits so that both probabilities occur. In one universe it comes up heads, in another it comes up tails. The supernatural being sort of bends perceptions so that the part it doesn't want seen is in the tails universe, while the rest of it is in the heads universe. In theory, the thing could hide itself in the tails universe, make itself invisible to those in the heads universe, while still seeing everything that's going on in the heads universe. I can barely control moving things around with my thoughts. How am I supposed to tell my wings to go hide in another universe?"

"I don't know, you're the rocket scientist." Dropping what he was looking at, Sam looked over Castiel's shoulder. "How did you move my phone? Scroll down... yeah, there. Don't those look exactly like your wings?" he said, pointing at a couple of drawings and a painting that was marked _'Angelus.'_

"I want to be a psychiatrist, not a physicist. Even if I'm good at math. Yeah, I guess those look like my wings. So you _are_ saying I'm part angel." He twisted his head and looked at Sam. "As far as moving your phone, I just thought about wanting it in my hand. Like at the bar, I was jealous of those people you were talking with and the water hose thing went nuts spraying everyone. I think I did that, but it wasn't intentional. It's like when I'm real emotional, I'm better at it, but most times, nothing at all happens. How do you move things with your mind?" 

"Same way you do, I guess. Hold on, you're responsible for spraying us? You were so not jealous, you hated my guts back then." A comic book came flying from behind them and smacked Castiel's head. Sam gave a discrete smile, and a not so discrete, "Doofus." 

"Hey!" Castiel protested. A series of papers shot up into the air and showered down over Sam. "I didn't hate your guts. I never hated your guts. And I was jealous. Jealous of the easy way you made friends and could talk with anyone... and maybe I liked you a little more than I wanted to admit. And I'm not a doofus, Jolly Green," Castiel said stealing a quick kiss from Sam, then acting like nothing happened at all.

"You _know_ that mess is gonna bug you before it bugs me, right?" Grinning, Sam brushed his mouth over Castiel's. "Right." Answering his own question, he pulled away.

Castiel huffed in annoyance. Sam was right of course. "So are you thinking I'm part angel or something?" he asked, turning the chair to face Sam. He leaned forward enough to stretch his wings out a little. He was not trying to seduce Sam...not at all. 

"No, not all. You just have wi..." Sam dragged his gaze away from Castiel's wings. "Ah... your wings are... I mean." Dammit, he could still see them from the edges of his vision. Closing his eyes, he rubbed them with his thumb and index finger. "I don't think angels walk around half-naked, teasing and tempting me, that's more like what demons--" He opened his eyes, swiveled his chair toward Cas and grabbed his arm. "That's it. Yes... you're the opposite of me. You know, opposites attract... the force, the thing between us. You said half-angel," he nodded. "I'm part..." No, he couldn't make himself say it. "I mean we kind of know what I am, so... and the wings are right, just like in the painting here," he tapped the monitor. "So--" Before he could articulate his thoughts, Castiel's wings skimmed over his face, sending warmth throughout his body. "Alright, are you _trying_ to distract me?"

"Of course not," Castiel said innocently. "Why," he brushed his wings over Sam's arms, "would I," he stretched his wings out so he could reach Sam's back, "ever want to do that?"

"I... I don't know. I'm trying to... to..." Sam's pulse kicked up a notch. His mouth went dry, making it hard to talk. "I mean, this is for you," he managed, his eyes closing as sensations vibrated through him. 

Castiel froze and, chagrined, folded his wings back down. "You're right. I'm sorry. Okay, so my father wasn't an alien, he was a...an angel. So I should be able to hide my wings if I can make sense of the quantum mechanics of spirituality, and you and I have this extra special thing ‘cause I'm part angel and you're part...bad blood. Obviously you're not evil enough for my angelic side to hurt you and I'm not angelic enough for your evil part to do anything but make me really fucking hot for you. Did I miss anything? Other than you're always perving on my wings?" A slight smile touched his lips and his eyes were alight with mischief towards the end.

"I am not _always_ perving on your wings." Even with the denial hot on his lips, Sam couldn't prevent the strong gust of air that ruffled Cas' feathers. "No, I don't think you missed anything," he said a little sheepishly. He looked away for a moment, then back at Cas. "You're half angel, you're never gonna go evil. In the interests of disclosure," he grimaced and tilted his head to the side. "I... we don't know what will happen to me. Know how I told you Dean's a hunter?" He met Castiel's eyes. "The last thing our dad told him was... he said Dean might have to end me, if, you know." He raised his hand to prevent Cas from speaking. "It's okay, I get it. And if you knew evil the way Dean and I know evil, you'd get it too. Anyway, just thought you should know what you might be getting into, I mean with me." 

"Hello, genius. Lucifer. Fallen angel. For all I know my real dad could be one of the angels that rebelled with Lucifer. Somehow I just don't think a regular Godly angel is going to hump a seventeen-year-old and then disappear," Castiel said, uncharacteristically revealing a little of his bitterness about his father's actions. He reached out and took hold of Sam's hands. "Any man or woman can suddenly turn bad and become a killer or monster if the right buttons are pushed, without any help from angels or demons or whatever. If I think you're being an ass and doing bad things, I'll just wave my wings at you and distract you so you stop. And if you think I'm being an ass...I guess you get to bean me with another book. Or you could just try kissing me. That would probably be pretty effective too."

"You know what? That sounds a helluvalot better than a bullet to the brain." Sam squeezed Cas' hands, then stood, pulling him up. "Time for cuddling. Okay, time to exercise those wings of yours," he admitted to what he really wanted to do. "In the interests of science of course, to see if we can make them hide when you want."

"Of course," Castiel said, letting that tug between them bring him chest to chest with Sam.

"You're mighty agreeable, all of a sudden," Sam said, walking backwards, toward the bed. The lights went out in the room.

"I'm always agreeable," Castiel answered, guiding Sam so he didn't trip over anything.

"Bullshit. Bed." Tugging on Cas, he had them both landing on the mattress. "I think we're working on 'b' words now. Let's see, balls..."

"Bang," Castiel quickly suggested with a grin. 

* * * 

[Two-and-a-half weeks later]

Sam sat on the bed, watching as Castiel 're-packed' his stuff for him. Apparently the sight of his lumpy duffel bag was too irritating for his roommate to be able to ignore. Course each time Cas happened upon a knife or some other weapon, he had to check it out and look over at Sam who could only give a shrug. He held his phone in his hand and tapped it against his thigh, waiting for Dean to phone and let him know to come outside the building to get picked up. 

Over the last couple weeks, Cas had figured out how to fold his wings away in another dimension or whatever. Sam hadn't seen the trench coat in over a week, and damned if he didn't sometimes miss it. Not that he told Castiel that. Besides, dropping the thing had gone a long way toward making Cas fit in and Sam liked to see Castiel's happiness over it. Every time someone unexpectedly invited him along or included him in something, for a split second, Cas would look surprised, his eyes widening slightly. And then there would be that almost imperceptible smile. 

"You gonna come out to meet him?" Sam asked, thinking this way the awkward first time meeting would be over, and when he and Dean went over to the Novaks for Thanksgiving, things would be a little easier. Except for the awkward 'meet the parents' moment that Sam wasn't looking forward to.

"If you want me to. Are you sure you're ready for your brother and me to meet?"

Before Sam had a chance to answer, there was a slight rattle at the door, the handle turned, and the door opened. Dean walked in, glancing at the threshold and then walking to the window looking at the sill. His gaze then roved over Castiel from head to toe. Giving Sam a pointed look, he said, "Seem a little shy on salt around here, Sammy." 

Surprise inspection. Wonderful. "Castiel's great at vacuuming and... packing." Getting up off the bed, Sam took a couple steps across the room and gave Dean a hug. Sure Dean could be irritating, but he was his brother, and it had been weird not to see him for all this time.

Dean slapped Sam on the back in a quick but genuine hug. "'Nuff chick flick, Dude. You gotta put up with me for at least a week." Stepping back from Sam he held out a hand to Castiel. "So you're his roomy slash boyfriend?"

Castiel gave a slightly shy and awkward smile as he shook Dean's hand. "Yes. Castiel Novak. Nice to finally meet you, Dean."

"Where's your trench coat?" Dean asked.

Castiel smiled a little more, but didn't answer.

Dean looked around the room. Everything was impeccable. Pictures were perfectly spaced, perfectly level, bedspreads were exactly centered, and books were organized alphabetically by subject. The carpet didn't have even a bit of fuzz on it, no dirty dishes, and the window was sparkling clean. Dean glanced at Sam's duffel. Not a lump one.

"I'm still a neat-freak. Sam hasn't cured me of that. A little O/C about it," Castiel admitted sheepishly, seeing Dean exam the room. He was sort of waiting for the white glove to come out next, what with the intense scrutiny.

Dean looked at Sam, his eyes clearly saying 'And I thought you were bad.' 

All Sam could do was look back at him in agreement. "So. I guess intros are over, right? Cas, I'll give you a call on Thursday, when we're about an hour out from your parents." Wishing Castiel could come with them was useless, but he walked back to the bed and grabbed his feather. When he turned, he felt the feather trying to float toward Castiel. Glaring at Cas as if it was his fault, Sam tucked it firmly into the duffel bag, zipping it back up.

There was a bit of an awkward silence. He gave Dean a pointed look, letting his gaze slide to the door in a clear hint for a few moments of privacy. 

Dean stared blankly at him for a moment, then suddenly seemed to realize what his brother was hinting at. "Yeah, so, I'm going to go grab a soda for the road. I'll go," he backed a little towards the door, "and try to find a pop machine." He bumped into the door hard and winced. "Yeah, uh, going, now." Wrestling with the door handle, he finally got it open.

"It's just off the main community room," Castiel called after him.

"Uh, thanks. Sam, don't be long." Dean pulled the door shut behind him and wiped a hand over his face. _Awkward._

Once Dean was gone, Castiel smiled at Sam and let his wings fade back into view, spreading them open, ready to wrap Sam in them. "You be careful with whatever this thing is you're hunting. Keep my feather with you. Maybe it'll bring you good luck. I'm going to miss you." He stepped up closer to Sam and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, pulling him into a kiss as he cocooned him in his wings.

"Me too. Miss you," Sam whispered, kissing him back and holding him tight. He put his forehead against Castiel's. "It's just a week. It'll pass quickly." Now that it was time to go, he found it much harder than he'd thought. "Who am I kidding, it's gonna be forever," he said, this time crushing his mouth over Castiel's and kissing him breathless. 

When Sam finally let him breathe again, Castiel grinned as he ran his hand over Sam's chest. "But forever is an 'f' word and most 'f' words are good. It'll be good for you to spend time with your brother, but I'll be waiting for you on Thursday." Castiel kissed Sam a final time. "Now go before your brother sics campus security on us again." He uncurled his wings from around Sam and slid them back into the extra-dimensional space he'd figured out how to access. 

"Or break down the door. Or honk until I get my ass out there," Sam sighed. "A week." Giving Cas a nod, he lifted his duffel bag and headed for the door. Just as he walked out, he said, "I'll call you, you know, just to be sure no one else is ruffling your feathers. Another nice 'f' word."

"You're the only one I'll let ruffle my feathers...though your brother's pretty hot, too. Not as hot as you," he laughed softly at the look Sam gave him, then turned to packing his own bag for his trip home.

***

They'd been in the car for about five minutes when Sam couldn't stand it anymore. "So?" He looked over at Dean who glanced at him with nothing but a blank look. "What did you think," he asked, a little exasperated with his brother.

"About what?" Dean asked.

"What do you mean about what, you know what." There was another silence. "Castiel." 

"He seems quiet, an okay guy even if he's a major neat-freak." Dean glanced over at Sam. "Doesn't seem like a total dick or jerkwad, though you were pretty convinced he was at first. I dunno. I mean, I'm not into guys, Dude. What do you want to hear? What made you change your mind about him?"

"I dunno. I saw his right hook?" He shrugged. "Knows how to throw a blade, I'll tell you that much. And he makes me feel--"  
"Whoa!" Dean interrupted. "Knows how to throw a blade? That baby-faced kid? And what the hell were you doing throwing blades with him? And what do you mean you saw his right hook? Did you get into a fight with him?" 

"Nah. Bar fight," Sam grinned. "What? Just cause I study, doesn't mean I don't blow off steam now and again."

"Who are you and what have you done with my brother?" Dean asked. "You're idea of blowing off steam is going for a jog."

"I still jog. It was a one off. Anyway, San Francisco. At least we're not crossing the country." Sam picked up the file on the chair and started flipping through the clippings. "Freak lightning storms. Four people fried in a what, a six week period. You got anything else?"

"He makes you feel what?" Dean asked after a moment.

"Huh? Oh. Complete," Sam said, having the grace to wince.

"Complete? He makes you feel _complete?_ " Dean rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Next you're gonna start sending him flowers and making little love calls to him every day. You're such a _girl._ About the job, another person got fried last night. Clear skies, out in the middle of a park and zap."

Sometimes it was best not to argue. "Okay, I guess that gives us a good place to start. Any connections between the victims?" Sam started reading the articles more closely as he grilled Dean and they brainstormed.


	6. Chapter 6

[Two Days Later]

The construction site was quiet now, as all the workers had left for the day. It was still light out, so Sam didn't need his flashlight, not even inside the building. He and Dean had climbed over the chain link fence to take a look around the old San Francisco Electric Company. The building hadn't been in use for a good sixty years and had sat there, abandoned and in disrepair. It was an ornate building that had been deemed a landmark and couldn't be torn down. Three months ago, a developer had bought it and was reinforcing the old building and adding forty stories on top. By the time it was done, the electric company building would change the city scape when viewed from the bay.

Sam raised the EMF detector, waving it around the gutted interior of the building. They'd found a connection between the victims. One of them had actually worked for the electric company when it was in business. All but one of the others had a relative who'd also worked for the company. The last person had been tougher to crack, but they'd eventually found out that the lady had been a shareholder of the original company.   
Hearing the scrape of a boot against the concrete, Sam turned around, "Dean?" Hearing his brother give a grunt and walk away, Sam continued to take scans. The deaths had happened in different places around town but they'd been odd. Lighting striking or an electric toaster shocking someone to death. Now it was starting to make sense. He and Dean figured that the digging and construction, it had disturbed or awakened something at the construction site. 

Walking near the exit, Sam squatted down and ran his finger through some black powder near the wall. Rubbing it between his fingers, he saw it was just dirt and got back up. Outside, he saw Dean near the outdoor construction elevator. "Got anything?"

Dean shook his head and called out with a disgusted "Yeah, unfortunately. Ectoplasm." He swiped his finger through the small spot of black goo and made a face. "Definitely got a ghost around here, a powerful, nasty one. He tilted his head back and looked up at the skeletal building. "So whattaya think? Up? Or keep skulking around down here for more signs?"

"Up, I guess. Found nothing else down here." Giving the elevator a doubt-filled look, Sam went to the panel next to it and shifted the lever to the 'on' position. He rejoined Dean who was on his knees, working on opening the padlock securing the elevator door. Gripping the sawed off salt rifle, he leaned it against his shoulder. 

After a couple of failed attempts, the lock finally clicked open. Pulling off the lock and hanging it on the fencing, Dean opened the door and waved Sam inside, then followed. "Let's start where the new construction meets the old. Odds are that's where any clues are." 

"Yeah, search from there down. Just once, it would be nice knowing what or who we're looking for." He looked beyond the metal grates of the elevator door and watched the ground getting farther and farther away. The wind blew his hair across his eyes and Sam pulled his jacket closed and glanced at Dean. His brother didn't seem to mind all of the rattling or appear to notice the ride was getting rougher. Sam put his hand on the grate, curling his fingers through it to keep steady.

"We know we're looking for a ghost. We know what we have to do to get rid of the ghost. That's half the battle," Dean said, raising his voice to be heard above the wind and noise of the elevator. As they were nearing the roof of the old building Dean readied himself to release the buttons that was keeping the elevator moving. "And here we are," he said, removing his fingers from the power buttons. Except the elevator kept ascending. "What the--" he muttered and tried to get the elevator to stop. "Suggestions, college boy?" 

"Stop button? Alarm?" The words were snatched out of Sam's mouth as their speed increased. "Fuck..." he moved to look at the controls and started to punch randomly at them. Nothing worked. They were already beyond the old building and now there were only the metal frames of the skyscraper in progress, with some flat surfaces. All Sam could think about was that the elevator better stop at the top. With one hand, he reached and grabbed Dean's shoulder, and used his other one to grab onto the grate. "Hold on!"

"Tried them!" Dean yelled back at his brother. _Not good. Definitely not good._ Dean thought as the elevator seemed to shake more and they seemed to be gaining speed. What if it blew out the top? Or what if it hit the top and that broke the wench and they went plummeting to earth? He felt his brother's hand on his shoulder and his own hand shot out to the grate. His other arm went around his brother's waist to make sure if something happened he had a good hold on Sam. He forced himself to keep his eyes open and looked up. The elevator slammed to a stop, metal grinding and cables slipping. "Out! Get out" Dean ordered Sam, not trusting the elevator.

Kicking the door open, Sam launched himself out onto the concrete slab but halted after a few footsteps when he saw where it ended. Automatically, he put his hand out to prevent Dean from staggering past him. They looked at each other and slowly turned, to see they had maybe a hundred to hundred fifty square feet of slab around them, and then it was just the metal frames and beams. Slowly, Sam looked back at the elevator. Even if it worked, he wasn't sure he wanted to use it. If it shot down... "Not the ideal place to have a shoot-out with a ghost," he muttered, expecting an attack.

The wind was strong and cold up here and the sun was going down. "Long fucking way to climb," Dean said, looking down into the skeleton of the building. He looked at the elevator. Yeah, not really what he wanted to do. Course he didn't really want to stay up on this ten by ten square platform either, just waiting for the ghost to shove them off or electrocute them. "Maybe there are some ladders or something on this puppy, something we can climb down. Start looking before we lose the light. Keep the EMF meter on just in case we get company." 

"Yeah." Quickly agreeing, Sam started to walk close to the edge but moved further in when a gust of wind pushed at him. "Just the crane, and that's like five floors below." The slab was bigger down there but the thought of climbing down the metal frame, even if it did have rebar sticking out of it to make it possible, wasn't at all inviting when they were this high up. And then they'd have to crawl along the crane and hope there was a ladder or some controls or something at the top. 

"Crap," Dean muttered, seeing pretty much the same thing on his side. He laid down and crept to the edge, looking at the elevator supports. "Looks like there might be a ladder along the elevator shaft, but it's on the inside. The elevator falls, it'll still take us out. Dean pushed himself back from the edge and stayed crouched because of the gusting wind. "We could always say we were drunk and did it on a dare," Dean said, though the last thing he wanted to do was involve the cops or the media and surely both would show up if he called for help. He also didn't want to get either of them killed. He shook his head. No, no cops. He looked at Sam. "I'll go down to the crane, extend it and get it up to you."

"Dude, what if the ghost comes while you're climbing? Or it does something to the crane? We gotta figure out what it wants and..." The sound of rolling thunder had him cursing. "Dean." He pointed with his jaw toward the gathering clouds.

"Sammy, our choices are kinda limited here. Elevator, climb down, or stay here and get zapped by lightning. Unless you suddenly sprouted wings or something," Dean said. Best to get this over and done with before the storm really kicked up. Or the ghost got any more ideas.   
"Yeah. Funny you should say that." Pulling his cell phone out, Sam texted Castiel their location, hit send, and then started texting him more information. The soft return text blip had him letting out a sigh of relief. "I'm calling the cavalry. Castiel should be here soon. I hope," he added, not real sure exactly how fast the guy could fly, but he knew it was faster than an airplane. "Remember how we talked about not every supernatural thing being evil?" Sam gave Dean a pointed look because that conversation hadn't really gone too far and they'd been on polar opposite.

"What's your boyfriend going to do? Does he fly helicopters or something?" Dean asked shuddering at the thought of getting in a chopper. "And yeah I remember. My position hasn't changed." He waved his hand around. "Case in point."

"He _sprouted wings or something_ , a couple years back." Sam's stomach tensed as he watched Dean intently, not that he wasn't just as nervous about the clouds moving in. "Look, I know the dangers. I had him drink holy water, and used silver on him, he's--"

"He what?" Dean interrupted, his full attention on Sam. "Wings? The guy has _wings?_ Sam, have you lost it? You can't know the dangers unless you know exactly what he really is, or what he might really be susceptible to, and name me one fucking _creature_ that doesn't have a history of killing people!" 

"First you tell me when you've gone out looking for just weird, without there having been killings. If you're investigating murders, guess what? You're gonna find murderers and murdering creatures," Sam shot back. "What about poltergeist, huh? A lot of them are just nuisances. And what about me? Don't look at me like that, you know what _other_ hunters would do if they knew."  
"Where there's weird, there will eventually be killing," Dean said. "What about you? Psychic doesn't make you supernatural. Look at Missouri. Who's to say she didn't get to be psychic for the same reason as you did? If Mom hadn't walked in on it, we would have never known a damned thing and just said you were born that way!" 

"Being born a certain way has _nothing_ to do with it, and you know it. Lots of evil creatures turn people, make them go evil, and you know it. Stands to reason there are others that are peaceful and never killed anyone, or they fight their nature." Seeing the look on Dean's face, he raised his hand. "I'm not talking about Cas. He doesn't have to fight his nature... he's just got wings, and a couple other ... gifts, but his _nature_ is fine." Lightning struck too close to the tower and Sam gave a shout as the platform under them seemed to shake. He rolled closer to Dean, not wanting to die alone, but prepared to argue about this until that moment.

"You hated the guy and now you tell me he's your boyfriend and he's supernatural. Do you know how that sounds? Sounds like he turned _you!_ " Dean argued. When the lightning struck the tower, Dean's gaze went to the sky. "We're fucking sitting ducks. Sam, we're going to have to try something or we're gonna be Kentucky Fried hunters."

"How about I get you down to the building below?" Castiel suggested, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

"Only if you promise not to kill us on the way down," Sam snarked, instantly getting up. Though he put his hand out to Dean, his eyes were on Castiel, who had a tee shirt on and was just dropping his wings down.

Tilting his head, Castiel gave him a strange look, but after glancing at the look on Dean's face, he realized the brothers must have been arguing about him being dangerous. "Dean, I have trouble killing a house fly. Come on, I don't feel like being a lightning rod. You can worry about me being dangerous once I get you two down safe, okay?" Castiel stepped up to Sam and wrapped an arm around his waist.

Dean glared at Sam, then at Castiel, then at Sam again. "I'm fucking nuts," he muttered, but reluctantly accepted Sam's help to get up to his feet. The next thing he knew he felt an iron grip around his waist and wind in his face. It seemed like only a moment later he was standing on the roof of the original building.

"Here, or all the way down, or somewhere else?" Castiel asked, looking between the two. Before either had a chance to answer, Castiel felt the hair on the back of his neck lift. He snapped his wings out, pushed the two brothers away from him, and cried out in pain as the lightning hit him. He staggered a moment and dropped to one knee. "Fuck!" he gasped. "That hurt." 

"Cas!" The smell of singed feathers was thick in the air and Sam made a grab for Cas, gripping his arm as the smoke cleared. "Dean!" He put his shoulder under Castiel's arm and helped him. "Get the door," he shouted, nodding toward the stairwell that would get them inside. He was trying like hell not to think about the damage to Cas. The guy had been struck dead on by lightning and was that something even a half-angel could come back from? "Please don't die. Please don't die," he muttered under his breath when he realized he was carrying most of Castiel's weight.  
Dean had stumbled back from the freak...er, Sam's boyfriend, when the jerk shoved him and Sam away. Then the lightning hit, the guy stiffened, his _wings_ spread out like some great white shield, and Dean just stood there gaping. Sam yelling at him snapped him out of it and he dashed to the door which was, naturally, locked. He pulled out his lock picks and quickly worked the tumblers, getting the door open in near record time. As soon as Sam and Cas were within reach, Dean pulled Cas' other arm over his shoulder and helped Sam get him inside, then pulled the door shut.

"Metal door, metal stairs. Not good," Dean said. "Down. Let's get down a floor and off these stairs." 

The two hurried down the narrow stairwell to the next level. The door was unlocked and they stumbled into the hall. Castiel stirred when they laid him down on his stomach, spreading his wings out as best he could in the hallway.

"I'm okay, Sam," Castiel said groggily. "You got any holy water? That made me feel good when I drank it. Might help now." 

"Holy water, you got that Dean?" Sam said, giving his brother a pointed look and tossing him the bag. He bent over Cas to take a look at the damage. There was burnt and raw flesh around his shoulder blade and his wing was injured. Sam knew now how sensitive Castiel's wings were and how much pain he had to be in. "Think it might help if we poured some on the wound?" he asked, running his hand over uninjured flesh. 

Dean glared at Sam, but began hunting for the holy water. 

While Dean was busy digging into the bag, Sam bent down and dropped a quick kiss on the back of Castiel's neck, whispering, "Thank you."  
"I'm new to this whole holy water thing. I don't know," Castiel admitted, really wishing he had more room to stretch out his wings. He gave a small smile at Sam's kiss. "You're welcome but my wings weren't as good a shield as I thought. Can we move to a bigger room or something? I need to stretch them out. They hurt all scrunched up. How bad is it?"

"Doesn't look real good," Sam admitted. "I mean it looks painful, not deadly but..." But he couldn't know the type of damage it might have done to Castiel, damage they couldn't see. Doctors were out of the question too. "Let's hope your healing kicks in soon. Dean? Let's get the holy water in you and then we'll move you." 

The building shook and there was the sound of thunder. Some plaster crumbled off the old walls and the doors rattled. Sam's gaze darted around as he searched for signs of the ghost or weapons it might use against them. His EMF meter was on the floor, right next to him.

Dean tossed Sam two flasks of holy water. "That's everything we've got." He picked up his shotgun. "You deal with--" Dean barely stopped himself from saying something derogatory like the winged freak, "--your boyfriend." And yeah, like that wasn't strange to say. "Give me the EMF and I'll play guard until you've done what you can for him. I want to know how the hell a freaking ghost is screwing with the weather and calling down lightning, though."

Unscrewing the bottle, Sam poured a little of the holy over Castiel's back. "Gonna have to lift you up a little."

Castiel struggled to sit up, grimacing as fresh weight was put on his wings. The holy water felt good on his burns though and he gave a soft sigh as the pain seemed to ease. He drank down some of the offered water and it seemed like his head cleared. He was able to concentrate and slip his wings into the other dimension and spread them fully open. "Better. Definitely better," Castiel said. He looked at Sam's worried expression. "I'm okay. I mean, yeah, I hurt, but I'll live. This ghost thing...uh, from what you told me, ghosts aren't usually that powerful. Maybe you've got an elemental?" Castiel's brow creased in thought. "You know, what if this electric plant attracted an elemental and it made its home here and now it's upset that it's being disturbed? ...Never mind. I guess that's stupid. You guys know what you're doing. I'll shut up now."  
Dean glared at Sam. "You told him? The Big Secret and you told him?" Dean staggered a little as a loud clap of thunder was followed by the building shaking and dust filled the air. 

"I told him? What about you, leaving that message with him?! Besides, how could I figure out what he was if I didn't tell him? We tell people we're helping, and I was helping him." More plaster fell around them, and Sam assisted Castiel to his feet. "Don't you think we should argue about this some other time? Hey, you think it's an elemental, rather than a ghost?"

Castiel look chagrined but managed not to point out he'd already asked that.

"You're the one who left your freaking phone in your room so he could answer it," Dean argued back. "I don't know. Awfully damned strong for a ghost," Dean agreed. "But we did find ectoplasm."

Castiel interrupted. "Ectoplasm can be made by spiritual energy or psychic energy. An elemental is sort of a spirit. It could probably create it."

Ignoring Castiel, Dean turned on the EMF. "Could be one I guess. So how do we get rid of one? And it better not be with holy water." The EMF didn't indicate any presence.

They were through the door and into another gutted room that was much bigger. Sam helped Castiel to the wall, and left him standing there. "Okay well, if you were dealing with a fire elemental, you'd need water or ice, its opposite. Something that could neutralize it. How do you neutralize static electricity," Sam started to pace.  
"I touch you to dump it," Dean said with a smirk. 

"Funny..." Sam made a face. 

"... Water will cause it to discharge."

"Earth," Castiel said. "Earth would insulate it. Or a Faraday cage would keep us from getting electrocuted by it but I guess that won't trap it or get rid of it. Maybe you could reason with it? Convince it there's a better place it could live?" He saw Sam's look. "What? I'm a psych major, whattaya expect?"

"Maybe if we talked electricity," Sam answered, not that he was against talking to supernatural things, but he'd never met a ghost who was willing to listen to reason. "Okay, lightning rod's not gonna help in this sitch. Earth isn't gonna help because it's been striking indoors with pure electrical charges. Wait, what's a Faraday cage?"

"Keeps electricity out. Shielding for electronics, microwave casing, braided wire on cable TV lines. All those are Faraday cages. Maybe if we could get it inside one, but I'm not sure. There's bound to be some Faraday cages in this place if it's an old electric plant," Castiel said. "It's a mesh wiring built around things to protect them from getting hit with electricity and stuff. Kinda like a three-d lightning rod maybe?"

Dean looked at Sam. "You hunt for that cage thing. I'll see if I can't track down this ghost or elemental or whatever the hell it is."  
"Cas, you got your phone?" Sam wasn't thrilled about leaving Cas alone. He had no idea whether salt would work with this thing, but he got a small sack out of their bag and started spilling it in a half circle around Castiel. "Lemme get some behind you. Don't step beyond the salt line, unless, you know, it doesn't stop this thing." Rummaging through the bag, Sam grabbed the long fireplace poker they brought along, and passed it to Castiel. "Iron stops ghosts. Don't drop this," he said. Feeling the weight of Dean's gaze, he rolled his eyes, and moved away. "Alright, going." 

"Wait, you don't expect me to stand here while you two might be in danger do you?" Castiel protested. "I can fight, I can duck and dodge, and I'm another set of eyes. I'm strong too, real strong. And I don't feel the weight of my wings so much with them hidden. Let me help. Who's most likely to be in the most danger? You or Dean?"

"Sam..." Dean growled a warning to his brother. This was no place for amateur night. The kid was already hurt bad.

"Cas... just hang tight," Sam said, "It'll be fine, and you'll be taking care of yourself. That's one less thing for us." Walking out of the room, he headed to the other parts of the mostly open floor, and then took the stairs. With his luck, anything useful would be all the way down on the ground floor or the parking areas beneath. He'd bet the top floors had been offices and didn't have equipment in them, though he had to look.

Unhappily, Castiel nodded. "All right. But if I hear either of you in trouble, I'm coming to try to help."  
Dean began listening and searching the building, not even sure if the creature was inside the building. If it wasn't, they really needed to lure it. He started taunting the beast to try to get it to show itself. "Come on, you fugly bastard. Show yourself. You too cowardly to face me, huh?"

There was only silence, though lightning struck the building a few more times.

"Come on man, show yourself. Come on your murdering sonovabitch. You already killed..." Dean rattled off some of the names of the victims. "Who else are you after, huh?" The needle on the EMF meter started to move. "That's it, come out here!" Dean walked around, taunting it some more.

Castiel listened as Dean yelled for the ghost or elemental or whatever. Lunacy. Why would you want something like that coming after you? They didn't even have a way to fight it! Hunters, Sam had called them. Adrenaline junkies? Probably, though Sam had never struck him as such. Castiel sighed, looking at the salt and gripping the iron poker. Hearing a noise, he looked up to see a chunk of the ceiling falling. Castiel jumped clear. "Hey! He's the one trying to piss you off! I'm just standing here!" Castiel yelled backed further away from where the ceiling gave.

"Stay behind the salt," Dean shouted, moving to the center of the room they were in. "Over here. Come on." His cell phone rang and he made a quick grab for it. "Yeah. I don't have time to resea... alright. Got it." Dropping the phone into his pocket, Dean nodded at Castiel. "Wing boy, got some research for you. Sam says there's some equipment four stories down. Paperwork's smudged but the equipment is labeled condenser. He says it looks like a capacitator, check it out? No!" he shouted, seeing Castiel prepare to go to the stairs. "On your phone. Christ." He rolled his eyes. 

Castiel stopped and got back inside the salt zone. He felt a swell of relief that Sam was still okay and tried to ignore Dean's jibe about his wings, but when Dean rolled his eyes and seemed disgusted with him, Castiel glared at him as he pulled out his phone. "These _wings_ shielded your ass. My name is Castiel and it's not my fault I'm half angel."  
"Angel? No such thing," Dean griped, but he gave the guy a second look. Turning away, he went back to taunting the ghost. Hopefully Sam would be back before the thing actually made a showing.

"That's what Sam thinks I am," Castiel muttered and began looking up the information Sam needed. As soon as he found it, he phoned Sam. "Yeah, condenser is an old name for a capacitor. Yeah, okay. See you." Castiel turned off his phone. "Hey Buzz Cut, Sam told us to get our butts downstairs."

"There's no _us_. You stay safe behind the salt line." Giving him a pointed look, Dean started to walk by Castiel and headed for the stairs. "What floor is he on?"

"Not telling," Castiel said, folding his arms over his chest. "Not unless I come too."  
Dean started to reach for his phone, then grit out, "Alright, move it." The words were barely out of his mouth when the room turned freezing cold and his breath misted. "Go, go, go!" he shouted, shoving Castiel.

Castiel grimaced as the shove by Dean moved his shoulder, but no way was he going to let Dean know. He didn't understand the sudden urgency but he ran for the stairs. "He's down four floors, north end of the building." 

As they reached the door, Castiel felt the electric charge begin to build up again. He turned and grabbed Dean and did the only thing he could think of - slipped them both into the interdimensional space where he hid his wings. He pulled Dean _through_ the door as a bolt of electricity hit. Castiel could feel the tingle, but no pain from it. Gritting his teeth, he stretched out his wings and glided them both down the stairwell, passed through the door, then brought them back into normal space, letting go of Dean as his knees gave and he collapsed and fell forward. 

"Go help Sam," he told Dean. "I'll come once I catch my breath. He's that way." Castiel pointed down the hall. 

"The hell you will," Dean said catching Castiel and trying to help him walk. "Dude, don't make me carry you." He had no idea exactly what Castiel had done, but he knew the guy had saved his ass. 

Castiel didn't even have the strength to hide his wings but at Dean's threat of carrying him, he managed to get his feet under him. He stumbled along, trusting Dean to guide him, trying to move as fast as he could, not sure how long it would be before that thing caught up with them. He had no idea if the thing could sense that he'd shifted them through space like he had. He wasn't even entirely sure if he knew how he'd done it. It was simply a knee-jerk, panic-reaction, from not wanting to get another lightning bolt in his back. As long as Dean wanted him to move though, he moved. He didn't want Dean to think he was a pansy-ass or something. If Sam and he were going to be together, then he had to prove he could do this, too. To both of them. That was his sole focus as moved down the hall. 

"Sam!" Dean called out, then followed his brother's shout. He got Castiel into the large room and saw Sam turn around, away from the large piece of equipment he'd been working on. "Tough guy's fine, it's me you should be worried about."  
Sam's mouth dropped open.

"I got dragged through some sort of ... nothing," Dean said in a half-assed explanation. "This thing ready to go?"

"Yeah. I mean I think so. It wasn't working before because... yeah, had to plug it in," he said with a shrug. "So, this thing works like a vacuum. Get our friend down here and--"

Cold air blasted through the room. Something started to manifest, something that looked like a tornado. "Cas, you hang on to the poker," Sam shouted, then ran in front of the capacitator. "Come and get me." The thing ignored him and started moving haphazardly though the room, twirling faster and faster, the electrical charge in the room building.

"Sam, if we both TK it, maybe we can contain it," Castiel suggested, supporting himself against the wall where Dean had placed him while Dean got ready to protect them both. "We're polar opposites. Like a magnetic bottle, maybe."  
Sam groaned at the same time Dean growled at him. Fuck it, Castiel was right. "Let's go for it. Dean, get ready to shut the door once we get it there," Sam shouted. 

"Sam!"

Ignoring the warning, Sam made eye contact with Castiel, then ran across from him. As soon as the entity was at a point between them, he put his hand out and concentrated his powers, his head snapping back as he felt the rush of power rolling from Castiel.

It was a tug of war as their powers entwined and wrapped around one another. Castiel's eyes never wavered from Sam's. He felt the thrill, the darkness, the love, the heat. The thing caught between them was almost incidental. Castiel wanted to push off from the wall, walk over to Sam, and wrap his wings around him as he kissed him senseless. Their power was like swords sliding along each other, back and forth, and finally Castiel stepped away from the wall. The thing caught between them shrieked, lightning dancing against invisible walls erected by the two men's powers. Castiel moved with Sam, let Sam lead the way to the trap. Castiel's wings arched up, he ignoring the pain as the rush of his blood thundered in his veins and the beat of his heart pounded hard and fast in his chest.

They were at least twelve feet apart, but it might as well have only been a few inches. By the time they finished their _dance_ and lead the creature to the front of the trap, every cell in Sam's body was vibrating with excitement. It was tough, so very hard to keep his mind in the game. The fact that Dean was there watching probably helped. But after Dean threw the switch and the machine went on, absorbing the elemental, Sam felt a sharp tug and staggered forward. The machine was pulling him and Castiel inside.  
Forcing his hand down, he slammed down on his power, then fell against the machine, his eyes still on Cas.

"Don't either of you fucking moan," Dean snapped, shutting the door and securing it.

Castiel walked over to Sam, ignoring Dean's presence, ignoring his own exhaustion, his pain, everything. There was only one thing he cared about in this instant and that was the man leaning against the machine. His eyes were scorching hot with desire. Reaching Sam, he grabbed him by his shirt, tilted his head, and slanted his mouth over Sam's as he wrapped his wings around Sam, the damaged wing hanging a little slacker than the uninjured one.

Sam's shock and protest fell away the instant Castiel's wings closed around him. They were in their own world, finishing the dance they'd started. Moaning softly, he put his arms around Cas' waist, and opening his mouth, he tangled his tongue with Castiel's. Heat flooded his system. He dragged Castiel closer, wishing for the days when Cas would need to be shirtless in order to spread his wings. "Want..."

"No, no, no, no... uh uh," Dean vehemently shook his head from side to side, even putting his hand to the side of his head to block his view of them. "I don't need to see that. Really don't need to see that. Sam. Cas! Sam!" 

If his wing hadn't been injured, Castiel would have simply carried Sam up and out of this place and found them a place to quench the fire burning between them. He couldn't though and hearing Dean's protest, he reluctantly gathered his wits and slowly broke the kiss. Panting, he pulled his wings away from Sam and rested his head on Sam's shoulder for a moment. "There you go, perving on my powers again," he teased softly.

"And your wings. Cas--"

"Eesh, could you guys get a room. And we're not done here," Dean pointed out. "We gotta neutralize this bitch or there's no guaranty someone won't let him loose."

Sam touched his tingling mouth, but dropped his hand the moment he felt Dean's dark look. "It's not our fault, it's like his atoms and particles and my atoms and particles attract and... Okay, never mind. Neutralizing it, yeah, I thought of that. There are ion generators over there. We can hook them up to the capacitator, and leave it on all night. It'll generate positive and negative ions and make this thing dissipate. Don't know if it will be permanent."

To Sam, Dean looked horrified. 

Castiel looked at Dean and half-whispered to Sam, "Uh, I thought getting rid of it was the idea. Why is he giving you that look? Aren't you supposed to kill it?"

"Because just when I thought he couldn't get any nerdier..." Dean waved his arm toward Sam. "His atoms and particles are chasing your atoms and particles? Really? And then all that ion generator talk. I feel like I'm stuck in an episode of Geek Love."

Sam merely got to work, plugging in the wiring as he read the instructions on the side of the ion generator. "You can't hate it that much if you watch it," he snickered.

"I only watch it when nothing else is on," Dean tossed back.

Slowly, Castiel walked over to a crate and sat down on it, folding one wing in. "So you guys do this all the time?" he asked. "How are you even still alive?"

"Are you calling us bumbling idiots?" Sam asked, grinning as he finished hooking things up and flipped the switch.

"It's not because we have a guardian angel, tell you that much," Dean said, starting to gather the weapons that were strewn on the ground.

"No! I just mean this is...dangerous. Like holy shit, we nearly died dangerous," Castiel said, watching and admiring the way Sam moved for a moment before glancing at Dean. "And you've got a guardian angel now. Or at least half an angel if Sam's right. Is it always like this when you hunt? And can I get a ride since I can't exactly fly right now?" 

"Oh yeah, you can get a ride," Sam said. He might have said more but his brother's glare stopped him.

"Aren't your parents gonna want to know what you're doing in San Francisco?" Dean asked, not at all certain he wasn't being had. Not that he could refuse, not after the guy had saved their lives. 

"Nah, Cas is allowed to fly in and out as he wants." Wincing at his own wording, Sam helped re-pack their stuff. 

Dean gave a grunt. "Fine."

"Great, it'll be just like the good old days, only better."

"What do you mean by that?" Dean asked Sam, lifting his head up.

"Three of us in the Impala," Sam shrugged.

"Are you saying you're glad Dad's..."

"Course not," Sam said quickly. "It's just... better, because you won't be the only one who's... you know, getting some." His gaze met Castiel's.

"Oh God." Swinging the duffel bag over his shoulder, Dean asked, "You two coming? Yeah, okay, make sure you bring your atoms and your... your particles." 

"Can we maybe bandage my electrical burns?" Castiel asked, making no move to stand. "I think I could fold my wing in if it's bandaged. And the adrenaline is sort of wearing off. Aspirin or alcohol would be good. Both would be even better. Well, since alcohol doesn't affect me, maybe holy water?"

Sam walked over and helped Cas up. "We'll fix you up at the motel, it's nearby. And we can make more holy water for you." With his shoulder under Cas' arm, he took most of Cas' weight. "You know, I could probably carry you, but then we'd have to deal with Dean's wise cracks."

"Wings make carrying awkward anyhow," Castiel said. He focused a moment and managed to get his wings to disappear. "You know, I bet I could walk faster with a kiss or something as bribery. And your brother can make all the wise cracks he wants. He's just jealous."

"You think?" Grinning, Sam started to pull Castiel into his arms.

"Sam!"

Grimacing, Sam avoided Castiel's mouth, bent slightly, and heaved Castiel up over his shoulder. "Promise me we can do this again, with your wings spread and a mirror," he said in a low voice, following up with a loud, "Coming!" to Dean. Walking out of the building, he slapped his hand over Castiel's ass, practically taunting Dean to comment.

Castiel let out with a loud sound of complaint as Sam hefted him easily onto his shoulder. "Put me down, this is embarrassing!" His eyes widened though when he felt Sam's hand on his ass. With something of an evil smile, he put his hands on Sam's ass cheeks, giving a good squeeze to them both. 

"Dude..." Sam's gaze tracked Dean. "Well that's the first time I've seen him get into the car that fast, without being chased by something." Laughing, he got them to the car and set Castiel down. "So. Think you might want to spend your school holidays doing this with us? I mean we'd have to work on Dean, but..."

Giving an almost shy smile, Castiel nodded. "I have to visit my parents for some holidays, but maybe part time. And until I learn better how to do things, I can be on research duty and be your emergency backup." Touching Sam's chest he looked into Sam's eyes, "But you make sure it's okay with Dean. He's your brother and I don't want to...you know, come between you two or anything."

"Know what I've learned? He acts tough and say's 'no' a lot, but... but when it really matters, he gets it, and he eventually says yes. He--"

The loud honk startled Sam. "He's also an ass." Tugging the back door open, he helped Castiel inside. Before he even tried to get in the back with him, Dean called out his name. Rolling his eyes, Sam went to the front seat and closed the door. "Can we get to the motel fast. Castiel's wings need attention."

"Gee Sam, I thought I'd take the scenic route, maybe stop off and get some dinner and hit a movie on the way back," he snarked, giving Sam a look.

"It's not so bad with them hidden," Castiel said, not wanting to aggravate the older brother, even though he knew Dean was smarting off to Sam. He wanted Dean to like him though, so that Dean wouldn't give Sam any more grief than he might already. 

Twisting around to look at Cas, Sam knew by the pinched look on his face, and the knuckle-whitening grip he had around the back of Sam's seat, that Cas was covering up. He gave him a look that said he understood, then turned back around. "You'll get used to it. The injuries, and the almost getting killed," Sam tossed out, holding his breath.

Dean gave him a sidelong glance and a 'what the fuck' look but didn't saying anything.

"Is this how you got all the scars you were showing me?" Castiel asked.

"Uh... yeah." Sam seemed to shrink down into his seat a little.

"Hey, I used to cut my wings off every morning until they got too big and too painful for that. I'm used to pain. And keeping these things bound up all those years? And a trench coat even when it's 100 degrees? It's okay. You should see all the scars I'd have if I didn't heal fast when I was learning to fly." Castiel chuckled softly. "I was not what you would call a natural at it."

"Cas. Shut up," Sam said, rolling his eyes. It was fine for him to show off about his wings when they were alone, but with Dean... yeah he wanted Dean to see less of Castiel's supernatural side, and more of his human side. "He doesn't fly all the time," Sam said, his body swaying against the door when Dean took too sharp of a turn. After that, the silence was a little deafening. Sam couldn't help wondering if he'd said the wrong thing. Yeah, he'd probably reminded Dean of his own powers and Dean was pissed about his using them. Probably the only reason he wasn't yelling at the moment was that it was business he liked to keep that between themselves.


	7. Chapter 7

An hour and half later, Sam had taken care of Castiel's injuries and each of the three of them was working on their second beer. Cas was laying on the bed now, watching T.V., probably to give them some privacy thought Sam, who was sitting across from Dean at the small table. Dean was texting Bobby some information about their success dealing with the entity from the Electric Company, but every once in a while, he looked up.

Deciding to take the bull by the horns, the next time Dean glanced up, Sam spoke. "What's on your mind? I know there's something."

Dean glanced over at Castiel then back down at his phone. "Nothing," he said.

"Nothing. Right." Sam looked over to the bed, then back. "You're worried about Castiel, what he is. I can give you all of our research, I'm pretty sure he's half angel. Besides, I've been living in the same room with him now for months and nothing's happened. And you've met him. Does he make your evilness vibes tingle?" he demanded.

"There's no such thing as Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, or angels," Dean said. "The guy saved my life, I get it. And you and he have a...connection. But that connection trips your powers and I don't like that. At all."

"It doesn't trip anything." Sam sighed at the look on Dean's face. "It makes me aware of him, okay? It... I dunno, pushes and pulls on... don't even go there," he warned his brother, seeing a light enter his eyes. "He says he senses me too, that there's, yeah there's something dark there." Every muscle in Sam's body tensed as he got the admission out there. "But, I don't know, he also says it's not everywhere. It's just a small part of me. And I think when we're together, that part, it shrinks maybe? You know all the nightmares I used to have? They're gone. I don't know what it all means, other than... he's not bad for me, and in the long run, he might be good for me."

Dean studied Sam, seeing the hope in his eyes, the light of rebellion lurking in them as well. He had to admit, he'd never seen Sam like this over someone. He drew in a long slow breath. "Over Christmas Break, the _three_ of us go see Bobby. We figure out what we're dealing with. Then we re-evaluate. We can also see if the kid has any talent with a gun. I won't make any more commitments about him until we get some outside input. That fair?" Dean asked, wondering if Sam was going to simply dig his heels in and what he'd do if that happened.

Fair? It was a helluvalot more than Sam had expected. He shot out of his chair and threw his arms around Dean so fast, his brother couldn't avoid the hug. "Deal. And he's got gun talent. I mean he will, by then. Thanks Dean." He held on until Dean's squirming turned into a shove. Lips curved into a smile, he backed away. 

Dean gave Sam a disgusted look. "So we're good." 

"Yeah, we're good." 

"Good." Dean grabbed his jacket. 

"Where ya going?"

"I'll get reception to send in a cot. Then I'm getting a drink. You've got a half hour to... argue over which of you two is gonna use the cot." Walking out, Dean pulled the door shut behind him.

"Yeah... okay," Sam said to the empty space in front of him.

* * *

Laying in the single bed on their sides, legs tangled together, arms around each other, Sam and Castiel kissed like there was no tomorrow. Like they'd been apart for weeks rather than days. Sam thought this was perfect and wished the moment would go on forever. Castiel had other ideas.

Breaking the kiss and panting softly, Cas asked the question that was still bothering him. "When are we going to do it? Fuck."

"Wha-? So obsessed," Sam laughed. "Not now."

"Is there some reason you don't want to?"

"Nope. I want to. I always want to, but I thought we should take it slow. Besides, sex is sex, and we've been having plenty." Castiel didn't seem convinced, but Sam leaned in and started to kiss him again, distracting him. His plan worked too well. They both forgot where they were and by the time they heard the key slide into the door, they'd shed their shirts and pants, and were so hot and heavy that no one, especially Dean, could fail to notice. 

The door rattled. It rattled again. "Sam? Fucking door's stuck. Sam."

Castiel slipped out of Sam's bed and crawled into the cot. "You can stop messing with the door now," he snickered.

Sam put his arm down and closed his eyes, feigning sleep. 

There was more cursing and door rattling.

" _You_ can stop messing with the door now," Sam said, opening one eye.

"Good night." Pulling the sheets up over him, Cas released the door, smiling when Dean stumbled inside.

* * * 

"You two are _not_ dropping me off and then coming back," Castiel said firmly. "No way. We go in together."

Castiel looked at the small house that he'd spent most of his life in. It was a simple three bedroom cottage, blue shutters on a white house. A trellis went from the ground to the porch, and red roses hung heavy on every branch and the yard was littered with fallen leaves. The door was just a little elegant with a modest wood and decorative glass. Pots of mums sat beside the three stairs that led up to the wooden porch. A glider with flowered cushions sat off to one side and black and silver wind chimes tinkled softly in the wind, barely audible over the rumble of the Impala.

"C'mon, Mom said we didn't need to bring anything but an appetite. She always cooks up a big pot of spaghetti the night before Thanksgiving. If we're missing something you want for Thanksgiving dinner, _we'll_ go out and get it." Castiel pulled on his trench coat and opened the door, but made no move to get out. 

"We should... you know, get some wine or something," Sam said glancing at his brother, before turning around to look at Cas. "While you break the news to your mom and dad."

"Break what news?" Castiel asked. "They know I'm bringing my boyfriend and his brother. 'Boyfriend' kinda makes it clear you know about the wings. I'm not telling them right now we think I'm half angel. I want to be a little more certain, if we can be. I'd hate to say 'oops, turns out I'm part harpy, not angel.' So the three of us are going to go inside, say hello to my parents, and get settled in for an awesome dinner. All right?"

"Okay," Sam shrugged and reached for the door handle. "Curtains," he muttered for Dean's benefit, seeing them move.

"I'm bringing holy water, just in case."

"Dean!" Giving his brother an exasperated look, Sam climbed out of the car and went to the trunk. As he and Dean grabbed their stuff, he met Castiel's eyes. "What did you tell them about where you took off to?"

"We got company," Dean announced, wearing his best smile as the Novaks walked out of the house. If you asked him, Mrs. Novak was quite a looker, but a sharp look from Sam warned him off.

"San Fran," Castiel said. "Dean had a job there and you invited me along at the last minute," Castiel said, bracing himself for being called "Jimmy." He preferred his middle name but his mom and dad insisted on calling him Jimmy. Not even Jim or James, but Jimmy. "Hi Mom! Dad! This is Sam Winchester, my boyfriend, and his brother, Dean."

"About time your got yourself home, Jimmy," Sara Novak said, giving her son a big hug. "Sam, nice to meet you," she said, putting her hand out to shake hands with Dean.

"No, this is Sam, that's Dean," Castiel said quickly as he put his arm around Sam's waist and looked up at him.

It was all Dean could do not to roll his eyes at the goggly-eyed look Cas was giving his brother. He gave Mrs. Novak his best, not quite flirty smile and shook her hand. "Just proves your kid's got taste, Mrs. Novak," Dean said.

"Please, this isn't grade school. I'm Sara and this is Brent, my husband." The woman smiled at the look Dean gave her, but then turned loving eyes on her husband, a man built rather like Castiel, though his hair was a little lighter and his eyes were brown.

Brent gave Dean a firm shake. "Glad to meet you. To meet both of you. Nice classic car you got there, Dean. Me, I like old motorcycles. Got a couple Indians and even a Ducatti in the garage." He grabbed Castiel's overnight bag and waved them towards the house. "Nothing I'd like more than giving that old biddy across the street something to gab about," he grinned, obviously pleased by the idea, "but we put the garlic bread in the oven when we heard you pull up."

Sara craned her neck to look up into Sam's eyes. "You always did like them tall, Jimmy," she chuckled, smiling brilliantly as Sam.

"Always, huh _Jimmy_?" Sam did his own teasing as he shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you, I mean every time we have a frozen dinner, Cas tortures me with descriptions of the home-cooked meals he's used to. And the desserts." Sam openly sniffed the air and could feel his mouth water at the smell of tangy spaghetti sauce and the garlic bread. He nodded at Brent Novak, who'd started heading back to the house with Dean.

Picking his duffel bag up, Sam walked with Cas and his mom, feeling a little self-conscious until Castiel let go of him. He wanted to make a good impression and didn't know the Novaks well enough to know whether they were uptight or not. Course once they got inside and Sara told them that Sam and Dean would be sharing the guest room, he thought he had his answer.

They headed upstairs and dropped their stuff off in their respective rooms. Sam teased Cas a little more about his name, and then they headed down to the living room. When they were offered beers, Sam thought maybe the Novaks weren't that uptight after all.

He sat down on the couch, leaving a space between himself and Sara Novak. Brent was talking to Dean about old motorcycles, which Sam had no idea that Dean knew about. He watched Castiel walk back and forth, looking a little nervous, and raised his brows at him. 

Castiel was trying to get up the nerve to show his parents that he could hide his wings, but at the same time, he wondered if that didn't make him that much more freakish. Sam had pointed out to him in one of their late night conversations that it meant there could be hundreds or even thousands of half-angels running around with their wings hidden and maybe the freaks were the ones who didn't have wings. Castiel knew it wasn't true of course, but that didn't stop him from snuggling up closer to Sam in gratitude. He finally took a deep breath. "Mom, Dad, I, uh, have something to show you."

Dean and Brent stopped talking and both his parents looked at him curiously. Castiel took off his trench coat and spread his wings, then taking a deep breath, slipped them into that other dimension. "I can...Sam helped me figure out how to hide them. I don't have to be a...well, I don't have to look like I'm something out of a...comic book or something. Sam helped me do some research--he's kind of got a fascination with mythology and legends and stuff--and he thinks I'm half...angel. Anyhow, I'm finally able to be normal. Kind of normal." He gave a nervous huff. "You know what I mean."

Sara was on her feet suddenly, throwing herself into her son's arms and hugging him tightly. "I knew it would work out somehow. I just knew it would."

Castiel looked over at his step-father. He hated reminding his dad that he wasn't _really_ his son, not by blood anyhow. He knew his dad didn't care, he loved him anyhow. Still when he met his father's eyes he was surprised to see relief, and a smile spreading across his lips. 

"Well, so much for selling you to the circus, kiddo. Guess you're stuck with a boring life outside of the Carnies." 

"Trust me, Sam wouldn't have braved a circus, even for you," Dean tossed out.

Sam turned to Dean, giving him a warning look. There was no need for everyone to know he had a thing about clowns. He tried to read Dean, figure out just how not okay he was with this, even though Dean was, for the moment, accepting it. 

"Hallmark moment?"

Pulling his gaze away from his idiot brother, Sam grinned at Castiel who was just managing to get out of his mom's embrace. 

"Thank you, Sam," she said.

"He had incentive. He hated the trench coat and wanted to get un--"

"Dean!" Sam crossed the room and shoved his brother. His cheeks felt warm, and it didn't help that everyone else in the room had laughter in their eyes. "I... it was hot in the fall, not really trench coat weather." Six pairs of eyes still staring at him, and some shoulders shaking. The back of Sam's neck started to burn. "Ah... is that garlic bread I smell burning?" 

***

Dinner came and went, laughter around the table, talk of old cars, old motorcycles, knife throwing, legends real and not-so-much, filling the air. Castiel was pleased his parents liked the brothers and he was happy Sam and Dean seemed reasonably comfortable with them. Especially when he told his parents he was going to spend Christmas vacation in South Dakota with Sam and Dean and their Uncle.

After dinner and a dessert of tiramisu and coffee, Dean went off with Brent to look at the motorcycles while Sam and Castiel helped Castiel's mother clean up, though for the most part, that was just putting things in the dishwasher.

Afterwards Sam and Castiel sat on the front porch watching falling leaves and shooting stars. Winter had yet to hit Pontiac. "You're going to sneak into my bedroom after my parents have gone to bed, right?" Castiel asked, his fingers entwined with Sam's and resting on Sam's thigh.

Smiling, Sam looked down at their hands. "Sure. Sneak in, give you a long goodnight kiss. Tuck you in," he nodded. "Tell you a bed time story."

"Only if you tuck yourself in alongside me," Castiel said, a smile playing around his lips. "So your brother...how do you think it's going? You said he's a little high strung and I'm still not sure if he likes me or not."

"Dean? It's a little hard to tell, but it's going a lot better than I thought. The angel... freak of nature thing," he said, elbowing Cas lightly, "isn't the only reason I was sure he'd freak out about you. We... hunters, try not to get involved with people. At least that's how it is in my family," he muttered, recalling all the moving they'd done, and all the lectures from his dad about not making close friends, not sharing a part of yourself with anyone. It wasn't like all hunters had no friends or like they never got married, but bringing that up just lead to more fighting. "So, you know, just calling you my boyfriend should have freaked him out. It didn't. And he hasn't tried to kill you. Probably helps that you saved our asses," he said with a shrug. "I think you're growing on him."

Squeezing Sam's hand lightly, he nodded. "I haven't been able to have friends, not really, ever since the wings started growing." Castiel's eyes grew a little distant, "...I had good friends but Mom and Dad said I couldn't trust them, any of them, so I had to switch to a new school and not get noticed, not make friends, just try to be invisible. It sucked, pushing my old friends away. I couldn't even tell them why I was being a jerk to them." 

Chewing over what Sam said about Dean, he wasn't entirely certain if he was reassured or not. "I'm glad he's taking it okay. I guess maybe he figures with me being a freak of nature," he elbowed Sam back, "he doesn't have to worry about me causing you two any trouble. I'm looking forward to meeting your uncle at Christmas. Should I bring him a present? What sort of gifts do you guys usually give each other?"

"With Bobby, I'd say you're safe going with liquor or gun powder," he grinned. "We're not really big on Christmas. Dean tries, but ... if you grew up having chicken strips and ketchup, no parents around and getting other people's gifts, it kinda brings back bad memories or makes you think of the dark moments, all the questions you had as a kid. I know you don't get it, you can't, unless you grew up watching other people celebrate. Tomorrow, that's gonna be a real treat for us. Much better than Denny's Thanksgiving special," he said with a wry smile. 

Shaking his head, Castiel laughed softly. "I wouldn't even know where to buy gun powder and I'm not old enough to buy liquor. That sucks that your holidays were so...unpleasant. If we were here for Christmas, there'd be the Christmas ham, potatoes au gratin made from scratch, and the desserts! Mom loves to bake desserts, after all, and especially at Christmas. Cookies and candies and pudding and sweat bread and pies and gingerbread. There would be a big tree, with tons of presents underneath. We'd do silly things like buy lottery tickets and wrap each one separate in different size boxes, and find annoying little toys for each other. We usually get each other like two real presents and everything else is just silliness. I was always, uh, super enthusiastic about opening presents so that's how that got started. When I got my first real bike, Dad wrapped every single piece of it separately. It was kind of like a treasure hunt." Castiel grinned.

Castiel's descriptions were so vivid, Sam actually got a warm feeling on the inside, a little like he'd been right there sharing Cas' experiences. "Know what I think? Christmas break is long. You should come with Dean and me, but be home for Christmas. Won't take you long to fly back and forth." There was no way watching football would beat or even match what Castiel was used to.

"I want to spend Christmas with you this year," Castiel said. Giving Sam a devilish smile he leaned in close and whispered, "Maybe we can replace some of those bad memories with better ones. I know a present or two I'd like to give you on Christmas morning."

"Oh yeah?" Sam dipped his head down and tongued the shell of Castiel's ear, and then kissed his way down his jaw. "What presents... hate surprises," he muttered, hovering over Cas' mouth.

"Ungh..." was all Castiel managed to get out for a moment, then brushed his lips over Sam's. "You'd like these surprises. They're good surprises. Me all wrapped up with a bow, maybe? Oh wait, you perve on leather straps. Me all wrapped in in leather straps?" Castiel suggested then realized what he just suggested and felt the heat color his face. "I didn't mean it like _that_ , I just meant leather, instead of ribbon..." he said quickly, feeling himself grow redder by the second.

Sam tried hard, very hard, but despite all his efforts, his shoulders started to shake. He gripped Castiel's arms, crushed his mouth over Cas' and tried to kiss away the laughter bubbling up in him. It was a messy kiss, punctuated by jerks of his body as he failed to control his laughter. When he pulled away, he clenched his teeth together, trying to keep a straight face. "Leather _chaps_. I'm really looking forward to that. Make sure our door is locked..."

Punching Sam in the arm, Castiel decided silence was better than any awkward protest, and began kissing Sam, letting his wings out to wrap around the man. He was not buying chaps though. No way. He'd do the straps first. 

As warmth swept through Sam, he protested. "Not fair..." But all too soon, he drew Castiel closer and invaded his mouth with his tongue, getting lost in their kiss. Energy crackled between them, and right now, he didn't care whether it was a push or a pull that he was feeling. The opposite parts of their nature attracted and the like parts repelled, but that was all just chemistry. Right now, he was into biology, into how good Cas felt in his arms, how good he tasted. "Mmm..." 

A low but distinct cough announced Brent's presence.

Castiel immediately slipped his wings back into hiding and folded them behind him as he broke off his kiss with Sam. He felt his face turn red. He'd never had to worry about getting caught making out before and sure he was eighteen but it was just...weird. "Uh, hi Dad. We were just looking at the stars and talking and, erm, stuff."

"We were going to put in a movie. Your mother sent me out to retrieve the two of you and I think to make certain there wasn't any...you know."

Castiel rolled his eyes. "By the time she was my age, she already had me."

"Jimmy..." Brent said in that warning parental tone.

"I know, I know, Dad. Just saying. I mean, we're on the front porch. What are we going to do?"

Brent chuckled and glanced at Sam before cocking an eyebrow at his son. "You'd be amazed what two kids will do on a front porch. The movie starts in five minutes." Brent headed back inside, the screen door hydraulics hissing as it slowly closed.

Sam made a face. "Awkward. They do know we share a room at school?" Letting out a hot breath, he leaned in and gave Cas a quick kiss, and got up. "Between Dean and ..." he nodded toward the door, "I'm really starting to miss school."

"They know. But since Mom got knocked up by a one night stand, she's always been a little on the firm side about marriage and sex and stuff. Don't think she expected me to go for a guy though." He chuckled. "I didn't expect to go for a guy, either but it does sort of negate her arguments." Cas stood up and suddenly found himself in Sam's arms as that strange pull between them seemed to be on overdrive. "I didn't do that. Did you do that?" Castiel asked, but wrapped his arms around Sam's neck, obviously wanting another kiss before they went in. 

"No." Sam sounded a little breathless. "Damn. You better, you know, sit between your mom and dad." Despite the fact that a room full of people were waiting on them, he found himself swaying toward Castiel, letting the pull work its magic and bringing his mouth down over Cas'. His tongue was barely past Castiel's teeth when a loud knock had him pulling away.

"Movie." Dean gave them a look through the screen door, and then walked away.

Sighing, Sam pulled away. "Gonna be a long 'tuck in,' I'll tell you that much," he promised, his heart jumping at the heat in Castiel's eyes. "Mom. Dad. Dean," he said their names successively in an effort to snap both of them out of it, and pulled opened the door. Taking a deep breath of the fresh air, he walked inside, avoiding the Novaks' eyes as he elected to sit on the lazy boy.

Giving Sam a slight glare for stealing the Lazy-boy, Castiel saw that the only other place to sit was between his mom and Dean. He settled there and filled a small bowl of popcorn and accepted the soda his mother handed him. "So what are we watching?"

"Newest Transformers' movie," Brent said from his spot in his own recliner. "Figured it would be a little of anything for everyone. Got the newest Pirates movie too as back-up or for tomorrow night."

Dean seemed genuinely happy with the Novaks' movie choice. Sam, not so much. He wasn't about to rock the boat though, so after he grabbed some popcorn from the bowl on the table between himself and Brent, Sam sat back and snacked.

About a half hour into the show, Sam's gaze slid to Castiel, who seemed to be enjoying the show just as much as Dean. After staring at him for a little while, Sam sensed that Brent was turning toward him so he looked away. A few moments later, his attention was back on Cas, his gaze lingering on the bowl on his lap. An unholy smile crossed his face before he abruptly turned his eyes to the TV.

Castiel was only nibbling on the popcorn now and again and tried to focus on the movie but he could feel Sam's eyes on him. He didn't mind, not at all, but they were kind of trapped watching the movie right now. Then they could feign it was time for sleep, or go back out to look at the stars or something. He could always take Sam flying and get away from the house so they wouldn't get caught, but with their luck, his parents or Dean would start hunting for them or something. He was musing on the possibilities as he enjoyed the movie, then suddenly felt the popcorn bowl press down into his groin, twist a little, then bounce back up. His gaze shot to Sam who was focused a little too intensely on the movie.

Narrowing his eyes, Castiel concentrated and tugged Sam's jeans tight so pressure was put on his cock. He quickly returned to watching the movie.

Sam had been enjoying Castiel's discomfort, until he had some of his own. At first, he'd thought it was the way he was sitting, and shifted. Instead of his pants loosening up, they only pulled tighter. Gritting his teeth, he vowed he wouldn't give Cas the satisfaction of a reaction. Well, there was also the fact that he'd seen Dean's face snap towards him. Determined as he was, when the pulling on his jeans started to turn into a pulsing, he had enough. He had to break Cas' concentration, and now. Taking a deep breath, he looked down at a pattern on the rug in front of the TV and focused all of his energies.

Smirking, Castiel saw Sam shift around and that had enabled him to have even more fun, tugging the pants repeatedly. He popped another piece of popcorn into his mouth as he focused on the screen but was actually not seeing. Suddenly he felt the tug on his zipper and his eyes widened. Sam wouldn't ... yes, he would, he realized as he felt his zipper start to open. Castiel immediately shifted his attention to using his mind to pull up his zipper. He glanced over at Sam and smacked him lightly upside the head with a wing tip that emerged from the other dimension, but remained invisible.

"Ow." Sam stared at the air above his head, then found himself facing eight pairs of eyes, four of them with questions, one pair giving him a 'what the fuck' look, and another pair that were completely unapologetic and filled with mirth. "I, uh... it's nothing," he muttered, glaring at Castiel. That had everyone's gaze turning to Cas, but not for long. Shifting, Sam hunched down a little and stared at the screen.

Grinning privately, Castiel felt he'd won that one for certain. Well, almost, anyhow.

A little while later, a small gust of air and tendrils of electricity brushed over Castiel's back, searching... seeking.

Oh if Sam wanted to play that game, Castiel was more than ready to raise the stakes. If Sam was hunting for his wings, he'd be more than happy to share the feelings. Concentrating hard, he stretched his wings out in that other dimension and pictured them brushing over Sam. Anything Sam made him feel he'd be happy to share.

Sam tried not to jerk up as soft warmth blanketed him. He couldn't see _them_ , but he could damned well _feel_ them, and he hadn't even know Castiel could do that! The initial calm gave way to less comfortable feelings once his own essence started to engage with Castiel's. Fingers of energy ran across his body, electrifying him, making him vibrate and pulse with desire. It was impossible to fight, impossible to stop the inevitable. All he could do was shift to the side, half cross his legs and pray Cas stopped before his arousal became obvious to every damned person in the room. 

The electrical impulses searching and seeking at his back faded away and then all Castiel could feel was what was washing through Sam in waves. He tried to pull his wings back in but that magnetism between them did not want to let his wings go. He tugged hard, folding his wings down a little and in an effort to slip them back into the immaterial plane but he could feel the tendrils from Sam trying to draw his wings back. Unable to fight Sam's pull, he managed to lean back against his now folded wings to try to keep them there while holding the popcorn bowl over his stiffening erection. _Movie, focus on the movie,_ he told himself sternly. _Kill Sam later..._

Sam wanted to squirm. He wanted to put the heel of his hand over his cock and press down. He wanted to get up and drag Castiel up those stairs, get naked, and make him put out all the fires he'd started. His breaths were coming out harsher than usual. Biting on his lip barely helped him from acting on his instincts. _Make him stop,_ he told himself. _Kill Castiel later..._.

Though Castiel had stopped teasing him with his wings, the feelings he'd stirred up in Sam would not go away. A low moan started to escape him, shocking Sam into simultaneously standing up and causing the remainder of Castiel's popcorn to end up on his mother's lap. "Sorry I was falling asleep. I think I'll grab a shower and head to bed," Sam said. "No need to stop the movie," he added, seeing Brent raise the remote. "Good night, see you in the morning," he mumbled, quickly heading for the stairs.

"Sorry, Mom," Castiel apologized as his bowl suddenly jumped off his lap. He rose quickly to his feet, hiding his wings in the process. "Uh, I better show Sam where everything is, make sure towels and stuff are out," he said, praying his semi-arousal went unnoticed. He hurried after Sam, glaring at him. 

Turning around at the top of the stairs, Sam whispered loudly. "I don't need any more of _your help._ Go back down and watch the movie."

Castiel's brows lifted in surprise. Like he could go back down and sit between his mother and Dean while Sam jacked off in the shower? Oh yeah, that was going to happen. That Sam said it loudly enough for the others to hear put him in a more than just awkward position. "My mistake," Castiel said stiffly, spread his ethereal wings and imagined himself away from Sam, away from everyone. He took a deep breath, ready to take flight.

"Christ... what do you think's gonna happen if you..." Sam started backing away from Castiel, knowing he was angry but not knowing what he could do about it until he cooled off. "Need to... need time," Sam said, ducking into the room that was going to be his and Dean's for the night. His skin still burned everywhere Castiel's wings had grazed it, and everywhere he wished Cas had touched him. Sitting on the bed, feet on the ground, he half doubled over, trying to regain control over his body.

Castiel froze, feeling his own anger flare. Sam was the one who kept pushing up the stakes...but that was his nature. He always kept pushing, that was the only way he'd learned to gain what he'd wanted, which was why Sam and his father probably fought so much. From the doorway, Castiel's gaze rested on Dean's duffel. He quickly walked into the room, grabbed it, and put it in his own bedroom. From the top of the stairs, he called out, "Dean, you get my room tonight. Good night guys. See you all in the morning. Might want to turn up the TV Dad," Castiel said before walking into Sam's room and pulling the door firmly shut.

Sam slowly looked up, then looked at the closed door, then back at Castiel. He thought Cas' parents had been clear on sleeping arrangements and he expected they'd follow Cas in, now or after the movie. What was Cas playing at? He felt his need stirring again, felt his energy reaching out for Castiel, but pushing him away at the same time. "This isn't the time, or place, to fuck around with... with this," he said, waving his hand between them. 

The energy between them was electrifying. Castiel could feel Sam's powers tugging at him, dark tendrils reaching as if to engulf him, twisting and writhing. His own power wove its own bright net between them, swaying like a cobra about to strike, seeking to destroy, seeking to embrace. Castiel felt his hair lift as if blown about by a warm light breeze. 

"We started it, this, both of us. It's already too late. We've got two choices. Succumb to it or control it. I could fly us from here to a place where we could do both. We're both growing in strength. You feel it. I feel it. Maybe...maybe tonight _is_ the time before we get any stronger. Your call, Lover. What do _you_ want?" 

Sam's jaw pulsed as he stared at Castiel. "I was trying to control it. It's why I left." 

Castiel leaned against the door. "Would you have been able to take a cold shower or would you have had to take care of the problem?"

"I don't know," Sam answered through clenched teeth. Cas' stare pierced right through him, probably right through his lie. 

"The bathroom up here isn't far enough away," Castiel said quietly. "I would have still been able to feel you. And _that_ would have been tough to explain to my family _and_ yours when I started humping the popcorn bowl."

"And now, what's your explanation to them gonna be." Sam's gaze raked over Castiel's body. His hands gripped the edges of the bed, the only thing preventing him from launching himself at Cas, pressing him up against that door and making love to him at the worst of all possible times and in possibly the worst place. Interruption was guaranteed.

Rolling his eyes, Castiel shrugged. "We're boyfriends. They know that. And there's no doubt we were having some sort of tiff on the stairs. Make-up sex, I guess. Just...try to keep your voice down? And keep us on the bed? My aunt and uncle visit and trust me...the bed's pretty well sound-proofed against the sounds of sex."

"Lock the door." Sam nostrils flared slightly with each breath. 

"No lock," Castiel said.

There was a long silence. 

Any way Sam looked at it, it was gonna happen. Even if he wrecked his chances of being welcome here again, because despite Cas' cavalier attitude, to Sam it was clear what the Novaks expected. "They're going to hate me," he said, measuring his words and believing them.

That didn't stop him from suddenly getting up, grabbing a chair and crossing the room with it. In a fluid motion, he'd turned the chair around and wedged it under the door handle. Door. Locked.

Standing only a few feet away from Castiel, Sam peeling his over shirt off. Then he grabbed the bottom of his tee shirt and tugged it over his head, tossing it to the ground. "Want to see you. All of you," he said, a vein pulsing in his temple. 

"They won't hate you," Castiel said. He looked up into Sam's face. He'd never seen Sam like this, not this crazy for it. The feelings rolling off Sam were waves of lust, dark and desperate. It must have been the way they'd teased each other with their abilities or powers or whatever. It brought Sam's darkness to the surface. "You can. You can have all of me. But not until you find your light," he said, making no move to undress or show his wings.

"Cas, I'm about to snap. Stop teasing. Or walk out that door, if you have to." For one crazy moment, Sam's gaze slid to the chair and he had the urge to vow Cas was going nowhere. He'd never, not in his entire life, had thoughts like that. Hanging his head, he backed away and dropped heavily down onto the bed. Bracing his elbows on his knees, he pressed down hard, letting the pain bring him back around. He stole a glance at Cas and thought about the feather he had tucked away in his duffel, the peace it gave him. Then he thought about the look on Castiel's face, the first time he'd made the bowl move in his lap. That had been... precious. 

A small smile curved his lips. "You should have kept your damned wings in your pocket," he said at last, close to laughing.

Castiel broke into a smile. "Not when I was pretty damned sure what that little tendril of electricity was searching for or what you were planning to do to me. Aside from embarrassing the hell out me." He pulled off his sweatshirt and brought his wings out, spreading them wide. He strode across the floor. "I'm proud of you," he whispered, running his fingers through Sam's hair as he stepped between his legs. "Proud you found the light." 

"You're my light." Putting his hands on the outer side of Castiel's knees, he slowly moved his hands up his body. "This mean you're asking for a blow job?" His hands were sure as he started to undo Castiel's button, and though he wanted to use his TK to pull the zipper down, he refrained and did it the old fashioned way.

Laughing, Castiel shook his head. "I want whatever you want. What do you feel like perving on tonight? My wings?" Castiel stretched them out a little more, but didn't brush them over Sam's skin like he normally loved to do. He took hold of Sam's hand and pressed it against his groin. "My cock? Or maybe my ass?" he said, moving Sam's hand to his right ass cheek. "So what is your pervy pleasure tonight?"

"All of the above." Sam squeezed Castiel's ass and leaned in, nuzzling the opening of his jeans. Sucking on the sensitive flesh of his lower abs, he untrapped his hand, and started to tug Cas' jeans down, first one side, then the other. Lifting his face, he looked up at Castiel's wings, so temptingly close. "Not fair. I should have wings that torture you right back." There was a real ache in his voice. 

"Your torture is my torture," Castiel said, his voice growing husky. "I feel your pain and your pleasure. You have no idea how much I want to wrap my wings around you right now." Between Sam's brief attention to his abs, and the way Sam was craving to touch his wings, Castiel felt the blood pooling in his groin and gave a soft moan, staring down at Sam through half-closed eyes.

"You have no idea how evil you are," Sam groaned. Raising his arms higher, he pulled Castiel down on the bed over him, then rolled over onto his side and started to kiss him. At first he was gentle, running his mouth over Cas' jaw and feathering light kisses across his lips. The memory of his too dark thoughts from earlier helped him keep a tighter control on himself, or so he hoped. Running his hand over Castiel's chest, he gripped his hip and leaned in, kissing him harder, pushing his tongue past Castiel's lips and tangling it with Castiel's.

Carefully, Castiel arched one of his snowy wings over them both as if hiding them from the world, but kept it out of Sam's reach. He played with Sam's tongue, then suddenly began sucking on it as he ran his hand down Sam's backside and squeezed Sam's ass, pulling them closer together in the process.

Moaning, Sam ground his hips against Castiel's. He felt a soft gust of air and groaned again, slowly tracing his way up Castiel's body to his shoulder blades. He ached to reach up, he wanted it so bad, and from the way Cas started to writhe against him, he was feeling it too. Rolling slightly over Cas, Sam slid his knee between Cas' legs. Heat built low in his belly, had him getting more aggressive. "I don't know Cas... don't know if..." Lifting his head, he locked gazes with him. 

Looking at him with lust blown pupils, a smile tugged at the corner of Castiel's lips. "Don't know if you can control yourself?" he asked softly. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath, spread his wings and wrapped them around Sam. Sam said the feather gave him peace. Castiel had always caressed Sam with the intent of stirring up lust but if he could focus on the peace he found inside himself, the peace he found being with Sam...maybe instead of the out of control electricity between them, he could bring them more control. He focused on how he felt about the man leaning over him, the man with intense, worried, hungry eyes. Soothing peace...and love.

"Don't you think you should be scared?" Sam asked, his throat convulsing. The trust he saw in Castiel's eyes was humbling. "Does it feel dark?" He was trembling a little, afraid he was on the edge, and yet unsure. "Cas, tell me the truth. Is there more evil in me now," he asked, forcing himself to use the word.

"Are you scared of me?" Castiel asked. "If you were truly evil, don't you think you would be, just a little?" He stroked Sam's face lightly. "We're both growing in abilities. There isn't any more evil in you, you're simply stronger now, so maybe it feels like there is, maybe being stronger, it's a little harder to control. We feed off each other's powers; we're entwined, but so long as you have your brother, you'll never go darkside. And you've got me, too. I'm not letting that yellow-eyed bastard dig his claws into you. You're mine. All mine. I'm not letting you go and I won't let you fall." He poured his confidence and love into the wings he was now caressing Sam with. "Any arguments?"

"No. I like that plan." Slowly, some of Sam's tension drained away so he wasn't feeling so dangerous. It was just them again. The two of them. The electricity. The need. But safe. Turning his face, he kissed Castiel's palm and closed his eyes for a moment, allowing himself to enjoy the sensation of soft feathers tickling his back. "And." He opened his eyes and looked serious. "I love you too." There, the words were out, and they were true. So much for thinking love was fiction. 

Castiel felt a slight blush color his cheeks but teased Sam all the same, smiling at him. "You're such a girl. A pervy girl with a wing-kink maybe, but still a girl."

"I'm good with that. Just don't tell Dean," Sam answered, knowing the worst thing he could do was encourage Cas with protests. "Now. Let's get pervy." Rolling over, he sat up suddenly. "Up. On your knees. Wings spread." Seeing the look in Cas' eyes, he laughed softly. "Not in your parent's house. I just want to see how you look like that... art!" The unholy light in Castiel's eyes was the last thing he saw before all sorts of items came flying through the air toward him. Clothes, shoes, books. Raising his arms to protect himself, Sam started mentally flinging things right back, scrambling to the other side of the bed.

Castiel grinned, grabbed one of the pillows and smacked Sam upside the head with it, laughing. "I'll show you art!"


	8. Chapter 8

Ten minutes later, the room was in shambles.

Sam lay flat on his back on the floor, arms spread wide, completely naked, and laughing. "One of the two of us has a lot of... cleaning up to do," he said, lifting his head and trying to see Cas who had tossed him off the bed while wrestling.

"That would be you," Castiel said crawling to the edge of the bed and looking down at his boyfriend. "In the morning." He spread his wings and lifted into the air, moving to hover over Sam. He found that perfect spot where their powers seemed to repel and attract one another. "I thought you said you were _good_ at wrestling," he teased him. "Not very good at pillow fights either," he tsked. 

"Just making sure I don't..." The sensation of their powers mingling and repelling slammed into Sam and made him lose his words. Staring at Cas, hovering so close he could feel the guy's body heat, and seeing the breadth of his wing span taking up so much space, he swallowed hard, his throat convulsing. "You're cheating. Again." He licked his lower lip, fighting the urge to reach up and grab Castiel by the hips.

"Can't help it you perve on my wings," Castiel said, letting his body drop a little closer to Sam's for a moment before returning to that strange sort of equilibrium he'd found. He stared at Sam's lips, licking his own. He wanted to kiss him. He wanted to kiss him really damned badly.

"Not just your wings. Everything," Sam whispered, lifting his arms and closing his hands over Castiel's sides, sliding them up and then lightly rubbing the pads of his thumbs over Cas' nipples. His lips burned from the way Cas was looking at him, desire heating up his eyes. "You should... probably... just do it," he said, lifting his head slightly and parting his lips in invitation.

Castiel let out with a soft groan as Sam's touch tightened his nipples into pebbles. When Sam's head came up off the floor and those moist lips parted, his mind flashed back to when they'd been in a similar position before except Castiel was turned the other way, and they'd given each other simultaneous blow jobs. He felt his cock begin to stiffen. Lowering himself down, the power between them grabbed him and tugged him close to Sam's body. Only his wings kept him lightly, maddening brushing Sam's body with his own as he slanted his mouth over Sam's, slipping his tongue into that inviting heat.

Sam swirled his tongue around Castiel's, nice slow strokes emulating the light touches between their bodies, one of them chasing and the other stoking the fires. Electricity crackled between them. Sam's entire being pulled and tugged on Castiel, drawing him ever closer. He knew Castiel was fighting it, he could feel the beat of his wings as he kept their bodies apart. It inflamed his desire, had him sliding his hands down Castiel's back, to his hips. Breaking the kiss, he whispered. "We playing cat and mouse here? I'm about to pounce... _mouse._ " It was the only warning he gave before grasping Castiel's hips and pulling him down, groaning as he bucked up against Castiel and got the pressure he craved. Somehow he managed to roll them over, waiting only a split second for Cas to get his wings under control, before dropping down over him and cupping the back of Castiel's head, kissing him fiercely.

It had to be different for others, Castiel thought. Movies and books talked about electricity, but with them, the sparks between them were literally there. He knew it was the angel in him and the demon in Sam. Both powers wanting to control the other, to tame it, to own it. He groaned when their groins collided, both of them now rock hard. He startled to chuckle when Sam called him a mouse then suddenly found himself below Sam. Although he saw the dark lust in his lover's eyes, he also saw that Sam was careful to let him get his wing folded and stretched back out so it wouldn't be caught beneath him.

The kiss was breathtaking, demanding, and although Castiel returned the kiss with as much fervor, he was pretty certain Sam was melting his brain, or at least, burning away all coherent thought. He wrapped his arms around Sam and held him, letting his wings stay outstretched, beating and twitching occasionally as he rubbed against Sam. The only things audible in the room was the soft crackle of electricity, the rustle of Castiel's wings, and the desperate breaths gasped between kisses and skin rubbing against skin. 

"Ngh..." Sam was on fire. He couldn't get enough of Cas. His hand roamed over Castiel's smooth, hot flesh, seeking, gripping, and lifting him up at times. Each mind numbing kiss, each sound he drew from Castiel, pushing him closer to the edge. Driving him to put out the fire pooling low in his belly. He felt a change in Castiel's movements. He felt him open his legs wider and suddenly lift up and lock his legs around Sam's back so the next time Sam rocked against Cas, his cock was rubbing against Castiel's hole. The temptation. The need. The desire. It slammed into Sam so hard, he almost took what was offered.

"Cas..." he managed through clenched teeth, groaning as Cas refused to slow down. It was now, Sam knew it. There would be no waiting. Hand pressed flat against the floor, he lifted up with Castiel still clinging to him. Raising his other hand, he concentrated, and the tube of lube that had been on the floor across the room flew into his hand. Uncapping the tube with his teeth and spitting it out, he whispered soothingly. "Alright... we're doing it, just... lemme ... please let me. Want it to be good for you," he said.

Castiel was practically lost to the lust. His cock needed more pressure so locking his legs around Sam seemed a good way to get it. He was ill-prepared for the feel of the tip of Sam's cock against his hole. The hot liquid seeping from Sam's tip, the way it rubbed over him...his wings curled up and slapped down against the floor as his head tilted back and his body strained, wanting more, more, more...

The feel of Sam using his powers, the feel of fire coming from Sam, the overwhelming need, all of it caught him in a net. He was caught up in Sam's feelings, in his own, so much so he couldn't even separate them anymore. He felt as much as heard Sam's plea for him to wait, to pause, to hang on so it could be done right. His mind was hazy with lust and love and feelings he couldn't begin to put a name to, but he stopped, listening to Sam's request even if he didn't fully understand it. Just as he'd been able to bring Sam back from the edge, Sam was bringing him back, making him listen. "Whatever you want," he mumbled, easing his hold on Sam, laying back down, his eyes heavy-lidded and watching Sam even as his wings fluttered restlessly. 

"That's it," Sam gave an almost forced smile, struggling to keep his lust under control even when he knew one small spark could set him off. Moving back, onto his knees, he put his arms around Castiel's knees and lifted them off the ground. Sweeping his gaze from Castiel's crack, wet with Sam's pre-come, up his body and to his face, he noticed the color flooding Cas' cheeks, neck and chest. "Nothing I haven't seen," he whispered, realizing how vulnerable Cas must feel. "Plus, only thing I can concentrate on is..." he nodded toward Cas' wings, and bit his lower lip. Right, he wasn't supposed to be adding fuel to the fire here.

Dragging his gaze away, he started to prepare Castiel, working the lube into him as gently as he could and brushing his mouth across his knee when he thought he needed to distract him. 

Regardless of Sam's words, it was still...okay, maybe he was just shy, Castiel told himself. He was still pretty self-conscious of his body and even though he could leave the dorm without his coat and he did all the time now, it didn't mean the looks didn't embarrass him sometimes. The way Sam was looking at him now, and feeling Sam's finger go inside him with the cool lube, it was strange and even a little intimidating. He'd been nagging Sam for this sort of intimacy practically from the get-go, but he was still nervous. The gentle kiss to his knee brought a small flicker of a smile to his lips. He hadn't even realized he'd pulled his wings in closer, almost protectively.

"You have an unbelievable wing-kink," Castiel teased, but his voice was a little shaky.

"You gave it to me. Trust me, I never chased _other_ butterflies." He slowly worked his finger all the way inside, added more lube, and started to ease his finger in and out in a slow, but relentless rhythm. Thoughts of his cock replacing his finger, of being inside Castiel, of fucking him, coming inside him, instantly had Sam rock hard again. Dropping his gaze, he tried to hide the depths of his need from Cas. 

Castiel curled up a wing to smack him on the back of the head. "I am _not_ a butterfly. Course if I was, I'd have a long tongue that could do truly evil things to you." Castiel gave a sudden gasp and his whole body jerked as Sam curled his finger up. His wings quivered and both curled up to touch Sam's back. "That-that-that was...ungh..." Castiel said as he felt Sam do it again. "Jesus..." he murmured, groaning, his head tossing wantonly back and forth. "Keep that up and...and I'll come before you even...oh, fuck..." 

"Okay, I won't touch you like that again." Just as Castiel's mouth opened, probably to protest, Sam slowly eased a second finger inside him. "You alright?" he asked, sliding inside deeper and curling his fingers again. 

Castiel gave Sam as dirty a look as possible. Sam expected him to be able to talk? All he could do was nod. He put his feet flat on the floor and lifted his hips, pushing Sam's fingers in deeper. Closing his eyes, he trembled and moaned softly, running his wings up and down his lover's back since his hands couldn't reach. "M-more," he begged of Sam. 

Unconsciously leaning back against the soft feathers, Sam continued to stretch Castiel and to push deeper. The way Cas was reacting, it made Sam think that maybe he could make Castiel's first time special, even if his own first time had been something he strove to forget. Eyes closed, he gave Cas more and more, moving his fingers deeper and faster, his own breaths growing harsher with anticipation. By the time he pulled his fingers out, his cock was hard and heavy, aching. Wiping his fingers off, he dropped over Castiel and kissed him. "Gonna be inside you, gonna fuck you now," he whispered.

Time seemed to stretch into endless waves of pleasure for Castiel as Sam worked him and teased him, had him writhing and thrashing and moaning, the most out of control Castiel thought he could ever remember being. His cock was leaking a steady stream of pre-cum, it was hard and throbbing and his balls were tight with need. When Sam pulled his fingers out and they didn't return, Castiel was gasping and looked a bit dazedly at Sam. "There's more?" he asked almost dumbly. Not that he was complaining. He thrust his hips up against Sam's body, seeking pressure for his cock. He wrapped his arms and wings around Sam, not letting him go for a minute, kissing him deeply, thrusting against him slowly, then finally let him go. 

"Okay," Castiel nodded. "Now you can." 

Sam ran his hand down the side of Castiel's face, dropped another light kiss on his lips, then kissed his way down his body until he sat back with his knees under Castiel's thighs. Aligning his cock, he locked gazes with Castiel and leaned in, slowly pushing inside, cursing at the blinding heat that flooded his body. So much pleasure, so much need, every muscle in his body tense and fighting it, fighting the need to push all the way inside Castiel's tight heat. He gave a soft moan, leaned in a little more, one hand flat on the floor, shaking slightly. He pulsed a little, hanging onto his control by a thread, or at least he was until Castiel's wings started beating against his back. Just like that, the urge to thrust became too strong. "Cas, I... ungh," with a single strong thrust, Sam sank all the way inside Cas, his hips resting flush against Castiel's ass. Eyes squeezed tight, he held still, trying to quiet down the sound of his blood rushing, tamping down on the demands of his body, of the ever strengthening pull between them. 

When Sam had been finger fucking him, Castiel had mostly only felt his own pleasure. Now though, now it was as if all he could feel was Sam's pleasure, the pressure on Sam's cock like pressure on his own. Holding back when he didn't want to. Iron control that didn't need to be there. More, Castiel wanted more, even as he felt the vague discomfort of being penetrated, of his ring of muscle being stretched. It was so strange to feel both sides of the pleasure/pain. When Sam pushed in suddenly, urged on by Castiel's needs, Castiel groaned loudly, fireworks were about all he could see as he felt split open and at the same time felt the heat of himself wrapped around Sam's cock and how good it felt to Sam.

"Good," Castiel whispered, nodding, pulling Sam down as he wrapped his legs around him, blindly, desperately kissing him. The electricity between them seemed to ratchet up to a level like never before. Castiel could truly feel Sam's darkness entwining him and he felt his own light entwining Sam. He hoped Sam could feel it too.

Sam's attempts to calm Castiel until Sam was back in control of himself, were futile. The way Cas was clinging to him, kissing him, the way he was demanding more, made it impossible for Sam to go slow. He kissed Castiel back, hard, his tongue moving in and out of his mouth, a prelude to how he was about to fuck him. _Don't let me hurt him._ He thought the wish might be futile, that he was risking everything they had, but something changed. Something that dulled the dangerous edge of his desire and gave him back the ability to think.

"I..." he couldn't explain himself, not then, so he brought his mouth back down over Castiel's and started to thrust into him. He moved faster, pushed inside deeper, groaning as he was engulfed by Castiel's tight heat. Electric waves of pleasure pulsed through him, had him straining, wanting more. The way Castiel clung to him, moved with him, it was beyond perfect. Yes, it was dangerous, but it was also right. Between them, they'd keep him in check, he thought, allowing himself to be less careful now. 

He angled his thrusts, intent on giving Castiel as much pleasure as he could. Unprepared for the way Cas clenched around him, Sam moaned out his pleasured. He fucked harder, lifting Cas up off the floor with each thrust. 

It was so easy to know what to do, how to move, giving Sam every ounce of pleasure he could. Every time Sam hit his prostate, Castiel's own pleasure blanketed him, engulfing him until it faded and he was feeling Sam's once again. If one could die of pleasure, Castiel thought this might be the way. He wished Sam could feel it but all he could do was offer the feeling of ecstasy through the energy of his wings on Sam's back and legs. As he felt the dark tendrils try to entwine more around him, he let them, but wove his own powers of light through them.

For a moment Castiel thought the bright explosions of light behind his eyes was generating the soft glow in the room but then he realized it was him, his flesh was glowing golden, just like his mother had said his real father had glowed. And he understood now what that meant. He knew he was probably grinning like a Cheshire cat at Sam, but he couldn't help it. "Love you," he said between groans of pleasure as their speed began to increase. The glow was a sign of love... 

"Ah..." Sam almost faltered. Castiel had taken on an ethereal glow and he wasn't quite sure what to do with this. It made him vaguely think of glowing halos and what they were doing definitely didn't seem angelic. But then Castiel's words made it all clear. "This is one helluva tell, Cas," he managed, lips briefly curving into a smile before he kissed Cas and gave in completely to the needs of his body. His slow, lingering kiss quickly turned burning hot, his tongue matching the movements of his body and fire inching through his veins as each thrust of his hips brought them closer to the edge. 

Castiel devoured the long gentle kiss, let himself simply get lost in the moment. Then Sam's love-making shifted again and Castiel shifted with him, matching his thrusts, sucking on his tongue, caressing him every place he could reach. He worked Sam harder, clenching and releasing, drawing it out, but trying to give Sam everything he could. His wings fluttered erratically, brushing over Sam, stretching out, drawing in, curling up, reacting to everything that was happening between them. "You're my fire, my soul," Castiel whispered before beginning to kiss Sam again.

Whether he knew it or not, Cas was fanning the flames between them. Each touch of his wings, each soft moan, each whispered word, sent Sam spiraling almost out of control. He kissed Castiel back and mapped the planes of his body, tingles running up his palm and arm from the contact between them. Groaning, he gripped Castiel's hips, shifted and started to piston into him, harder, faster. As his motions became more frantic, he felt Castiel's heels dig into the small of his back, urging him on. "Cas!" His fingers suddenly bit into Castiel's flesh as he held him absolutely still and pulling half way out, thrust his hips, entering him in a swift motion and crying out as his release slammed into him. 

Feeling Sam come as he did, harder than he ever had before when Castiel was with him, was nearly overwhelming for Cas. Sam's ecstasy triggered his own, liquid heat spreading between them and he shouted his own pleasure. The golden light coming from him became almost blindingly bright and Castiel found his wings, his arms, his legs, all wrapped tightly around Sam, holding on, feeling the tug between them crescendo as if for a brief moment they were one. Ying and Yang forever together, bound by the magnetic polarity of their souls. Energy seemed to crackle across both of them.

Sam kept rocking and dragging out the aftershocks of their release. Castiel seemed to bring out the darkness in him, the part of him that had a dangerous edge, the part he feared and tried to hide or tamp down on. But Castiel dealt with it differently, he shone a light on it and wouldn't let him hide it. He cocooned that part of him with his light, with his soul, with his essence, until Sam was at peace. Slowly, he pulled out of Cas, then collapsed over him, the last of his breaths leaving him with an audible woosh. He ran one hand down the side of Castiel's face, kissing him lightly, then he started to laugh softly. 

Castiel knew his eyes were probably a little glazed over and they were both covered in sweat and cum. He pressed his cheek against Sam's touch, a little disappointed the kiss was so brief. "What's so funny?" he asked, staring lovingly at Sam, finally let his wings relax, letting them falling back onto the floor.

"You glow." Smiling down at Castiel, Sam tried to tamp down on his laughter but his shoulders shook. "Fairies glow," he nodded. "And I've heard really romantic vampires glow. Or, sparkle. Just wondering, am I gonna spend the rest of my life jealously guarding you from teens and tweens?"

Bursting into laughter, Castiel broke into a smile. " _You_ make be glow. I don't think you have to worry about tweens or teens, unless, you know, it was a really, really _hot_ teen. So I guess you better make sure you keep me focused only on you."

"Ass." Sam made a face, then added. "I don't think it'll be a problem." As he lowered his mouth over Castiel's, he concentrated. A rush of air pushed Cas' wings up off the floor and the air crackled around them with energy. No, it definitely wouldn't be a problem. Not when neither of them could ignore the other. Not when they could feel each other's presence a room away.

*

The two had made love most of the night so it was no surprise that the sun was well up before either of them stirred. Castiel's grumbling stomach and the sunlight pouring through a crack in the curtains, right in his face, made him slowly open his eyes. He smiled, feeling Sam spooned up against him, his soft warm breath on his neck and his arm wrapped loosely around his waist.

Carefully he slipped out of bed, letting his wings appear and stretching them even as he stretched his muscles. He was a little sore from their rambunctious night of love-making, but it wasn't bad. He wanted a shower and then he would see if his parents needed any help with cooking or anything. He blushed a little when he realized they had sort of gotten lost in one another and hadn't been terribly concerned about keeping the volume down. The room _was_ pretty well sound-proofed but he still figured Dean had heard them occasionally. And probably his parents. He gave a sigh and a shrug. It was what it was. He was with Sam, he could be himself, and Sam made him happy. He liked the idea of helping the brothers hunt, too. He could still be a psychologist, set his own hours, and make enough for them to live on and still hunt with them frequently. Especially since it didn't take all that long to fly places. He was getting stronger, faster, and learning more about the dimension he hid his wings into. He suspected he could travel that way but just wasn't sure yet if it was faster or better.

Planting a light kiss on Sam's slightly parted lips, he grabbed some clothes and headed for the shower.

"Mmm," Sam smiled and watched Castiel through barely open eyes. He'd have stayed in bed a little longer, if Cas weren't fluttering his damn wings around so much. Bare-assed naked and wings out... yeah, it only took a few minutes for Sam to climb out of bed and follow Castiel to the bathroom. The shower was nice and large, a nice change from the tiny shower at the dorms. Not that they'd be doing anything, he thought, until he saw Castiel lean back, letting the water rush over his face, his wing spreading out high above his head.

Sam tried to temper the flood of heat that washed through him. Still, when he pulled the glass door open, he couldn't claim to be free of bad intentions. Sliding his arms around Castiel's slippery waist, he pulled him close and kissed the spot between his shoulder blades.

With a soft chuckle, Castiel turned in Sam's arms. "You're incorrigible. Or are you just perving on my wings again, Handsome?"

"Those two things? Not mutually exclusive." Sam immediately made it his business to prove it to Castiel one more time.

* * *

A half hour later, after they were dressed and Castiel had pretty much cleaned up the room and put everything back where it belonged, they headed downstairs after checking Dean's room and finding he wasn't there. Sam ran his hand through his still slightly wet hair before stepping down into the living room and then following the sound of voices to the dining room. 

"Morning," he said.

"Must have stayed up late, studying. It's almost noon," Dean said, giving both of them a look that spoke volumes.

Sam made a face at him. He might have slugged Dean if Cas' parents hadn't been sitting at the table. 

"Studying? We weren't studying," Castiel said, mildly confused. Dean rolled his eyes, Sam gave him a look, but the clincher was when Castiel's dad nearly spewed coffee as he started to laugh. Castiel felt his face go beet red. "Studying...right. Yeah. Most of the ni--Uh, Mom, you need any help with anything?"

"I don't know sweetie. I'm enjoying watching you dig yourself in deeper and deeper. Oh, honey," she said looking at her husband, "That's the color of red I was talking about for that spare room. A good deep crimson."

"Mom!" Castiel huffed.

Both of his parents broke into laughter. His father finally jerked a thumb toward the kitchen. "We made you two a fresh pot of coffee."

"I'll get it," Castiel said quickly, hurrying into the next room.

"No, I'll get it," Sam said just as quickly, trying to overtake Cas.

They both reached the coffee pot on the kitchen counter and Castiel poured two cups of coffee while Sam wondered when it would be safe to go back in. "Dean's got that look in his eyes," he muttered. "And your parents are no better. Did you really have to be that loud?"

"Dude, you were the one that was loud."

Sam's mouth dropped open when Dean came in. Course Dean didn't stop there.

"He's the one who ... you know..." Dean gestured, snapping his fingers together and apart like he was illustrating flashing lights. 

"Huh?" Sam said.

Dean raised a brow and smirked. "Castiel Novak glows through sex."

Castiel groaned and buried his face on his arm that rested on the counter. "Oh, Jesus..." he muttered. He didn't look up. "How did you know I, uh, was, uh, glowing? Did my parents...?"

"The light from under the door was so damned strong, it woke me up. Them too. Thought you two were being abducted by aliens or something. I was about to bust the door open when your mom stopped me. Told me about the baby-daddy being all glowy. Do I gotta worry about Sammy ending up pregnant or anything?" Dean asked, looking at Sam with mischief in his eyes.

Castiel almost responded with if anyone ended up pregnant it would be him and not Sam, but bit his tongue. _TMI_ he told himself firmly. He took a deep breath and straightened, looking square on at Dean. "We haven't discussed whether we're going to have kids yet or not," he said, sounding as serious as he possibly could. 

"Kids?" Dean asked.

Sam almost dropped his mug and searched Castiel's face. He couldn't tell whether Cas was kidding or not. "Ah... you know what? I'm going back in there, where the conversation is _safer_ ," he said, eyeing both men, then walking steadfastly away from them as quickly as he'd rushed into the kitchen.

Castiel gave Dean a smirk then followed after Sam. Dean muttered under his breath about smart-ass angels.

*

Castiel leaned back, gave a soft burp, and put a hand over his well-stuffed stomach. "You out-did yourself, Mom. That was awesome."

She smiled at her son and gave a pleased nod. "Thank you Jimmy. I'm going to go turn on the football game. I cook, Brent and Jimmy clean up," she explained to the brothers. "Guests get to join me in the living room and put their feet up and enjoy the game."

"Did I warn you my parents are rabid sports fans?" Castiel asked Sam with a sigh.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Dean got up and was first to follow Sara to the living room. If guests got out of clean-up duty, he wasn't about to fight it. "That was the best da... the best turkey I've ever had. And the stuffing?"

Sam rolled his eyes. Dean had looked like he was pretty much making love to his food over dinner. "It was really good, thank you," he chimed in, though he started to clear the table instead of taking advantage of the invitation to leave it all on Castiel and Brent.

Castiel smiled at Sam. "Careful. This makes you family now. You might get stuck raking leaves or something this weekend. Mom has no shame with her to-do list." 

"Family, huh?" Sam smiled back, the realization hitting him that they'd had an honest to goodness Thanksgiving meal, sitting at the table, with family around. Yeah, he could totally get used to this. Totally. "I'm down with that." Hearing his brother shout out for a beer, he leaned over and through the open doorway saw Dean was already kicking back and watching the game. "I think he is too." 

As soon as Brent disappeared into the kitchen, Sam walked over to Castiel, and holding a stack of dishes in his hands, leaned in and gave him a light kiss. "Thanks. For sharing... this, your family, with us," he said seriously.

Giving him a look, Castiel shook his head and laughed a little. "What are you talking about?" He ran his hand along Sam's cheek. "I want to share everything with you. There are going to be a lot more family dinners in your future. In Dean's future. Dinners and holidays and birthday parties and everything. There'll be a day you'll groan when I tell you Mom's throwing a party for something and expects us all to be present for it. Maybe we can even drag your Uncle Bobby into the mix."

"Jimmy? Sam? Plates!"

"And chores, lots of chores," Sam said, giving Cas a rueful smile. "Let's get this done and... yeah, don't stand so close when we're washing up. Wouldn't want to have a glowy moment and light up the kitchen." Directly contradicting his own plan, he dipped his head and nuzzled Castiel's neck, kissing his way up to his lips.

"I like glowy moments," Castiel murmured and wrapped his wings lightly around Sam.

"James!" Brent called, "C'mon kiddo, I want to watch the game too!"

Castiel smiled against Sam's lips then said, "Hey Dad, you go ahead and Sam and I will take care of clearing the table and cleaning up the kitchen." The look he gave Sam made it clear that wasn't all they would be doing. 

As Brent walked out of the kitchen with a couple bottles of beer in his hand, Sam quickly looked down and let him pass. He swore Castiel couldn't be more obvious if he tried. Course once Brent was gone, Cas was laughing at him and Sam couldn't help but join in.

*

A half hour later, Sam was getting the hell kissed out of him, standing there in the middle of the clean kitchen, wrapped in Castiel's arms. With a reward like this, clean-up duty was certainly not something to avoid, he thought, his hands gliding up and down Cas' back. He found himself being walked backwards, one step at a time, moaning softly when his back was against the wall and Castiel pressed up against him so hard, he could feel every contour of his body.

"Sam, c'mon man, you're missing the game!"

Cas pulled away and, for a moment, Sam stared at him, slightly bemused. But then his brother's shout, almost as loud as Castiel's parents' cheers, snapped him out of it. "Family," he said, letting out a hot breath and straightening his clothes.

Castiel ran a hand through Sam's hair, smoothing it. "Yes. Family," he said, then grabbing a couple beers from the fridge, took Sam's hand and led him out of the kitchen.

THE END


End file.
